Pull Up

by David JeffriesMr. Vegas has come a long way since his big breakthrough single, Heads High. The hit single showed the man was quick and skilled, but it didn't give a hint that he would be a swaggering personality, a dancehall Romeo even. There's a surprising amount of quality lovers rock on Pull Up, all of it convincing. If Vegas is being pushed into the lovers rock and the more American R&B-influenced moments on the album, he's a talented enough artist not to show it. He sounds like Bill Withers on the sweet "Thank You Girl" and captures the essence of Billy Dee Williams on "Never Leave U Lonely," but he absolutely kills on the album's hectic numbers. "Popito" is one of the silliest and best, with Vegas doing his most exuberant Speedy Gonzales impression. "Fly Away" and an inspired, absolutely killer version of "Under Mi Sensi" form the herb-loving center of the album, while the loopy and hypnotic "Pull Up" is a summer single that's hard to live without. Lil Jon's barks and a deep bass boom are added to the single's remix, one of the few fat-sounding moments of the album. Be it an acquired taste or a mastering error, Pull Up sounds compressed and very thin compared to the full spectrum R&B it sometimes gives the nod. There are other odd audio moments, like when drums pan from speaker to speaker without much reason and sometimes songs just end or fade without much warning. It's sonically interesting, maybe not the best sound field for this D'Angelo-deep artist, but a unique sound for a unique vocalist. Most other speed toasters fall down on the slow stuff, but Vegas doesn't. He's fantastic at playing the supporting role, but can deliver an excellent album on his own. Pull Up is an excellent album, compressed and a bit messy but dancehall royalty more often than not.