Review: Shadows & Diamonds - @SirElijahBlake (written by @simONE_OFMYKIND)

There is a new school of R&B that has hit the surface and Elijah Blake is definitely a part of the class. 

We've heard Elijah Blake's name many times but never got a chance to really listen to what he was bringing to the table aside from some songs here and there. We're hearing his name more and more now but Blake has been getting his hands dirty in the music world since 2009. He has worked with and co-written for artist like Usher, Trey Songz, Common, Kanye West, Alicia Keys, Nas, and more. His track record is pretty impressive. He released his first project Bijoux 22 in 2012, and in 2014 his Drift EP which Ramsey reviewed here.

Blake's new album Shadows & Diamonds was released June this year. The 14 track album includes his singles I Just Wanna feat. Dej Loaf and Everyday. I thought the album was good but not great. It seemed like the standard, it was everything I was expecting but there were a couple of songs that did have a different sound that we do not hear often in R&B. Elijah Blake has a beautiful and very distinctive voice but it can easily go overlooked (overheard) since the beats on some songs drown out his voice. Aside from that, the production and content on Shadows & Diamonds deserves a solid A. My top three songs would be Armageddon, Everyday, and Pinot. Armageddon and Pinot give the smooth ballad feel, and more than other songs reveal how talented Elijah Blake is vocally. The lyrics for both are very emotional and heartfelt. These two songs are the type to make you melt. To me, Everyday is one of the more hype songs off of the album yet still keeps that R&B sound with quality vocals and lyrics. It is a well-crafted song but still gets you turnt; best of both worlds.


Overall I would give Shadows & Diamonds four out of five stars. Like I said, I enjoyed the album a lot but I cannot say I loved it since it gave exactly what I expected. I do look forward to hearing more music from Elijah Blake as well as seeing him team up with some big names for great collaborations in the future. Vocally, lyrically, and as far as crafting music goes this man is extremely talented and great at what he does. Artists such as himself, Bryson Tiller, Tory Lanez, Justine Skye, Kehlani, and Tinashe are a part of this new school of mainstream R&B that is changing the game and definitely making its mark. I cannot wait to see what's next. Below is his video for Everyday, and the stream of Shadows and Diamonds in it's entirety.