Ink

The Ins X Miles Bonny
J.Birly
Melting Pot Music

Beatmaker/emcee/soul revivalist and revisionist Miles Bonny returns with German production team The Ins for J.Birly, a three-track venture primarily recorded in Cologne, Germany, during Bonny’s European tour last summer. And much like Bonny’s last bite-sized outing with DJ Day, J.Birly is a smoky, smoldering offering that finds the artist in the state of casual confidence that has become his trademark.

The title track, a cover of the Jerry Butler song “Just Because I Really Love You” (J.Birly, get it?) takes the venerable soul song and turns it into an atmospheric slow jam that manages to remain true to Butler’s original while sounding like a Bonny original.

The Ins’ production on the song is outstanding, utilizing multilayered vocals, organ and digital drums during the choruses, while becoming minimal and focused during the verses, giving Bonny plenty of room to do what he does best — croon. The result is the kind of song fit for darkened clubs and low-key lounges. “Mellow” is the operative word here.

The next track, “Lumberjack Soul,” relies on a fat bass line and some subtle trumpeting to build a strong beat. Whereas “J.Birly” managed to balance lyrics and production, “Lumberjack Soul” is far more interested in the latter. Given the song features lines such as, “I’ll build you a house of wood with my lumberjack soul,” that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

J.Birly concludes with “Breakfast,” which is not only the most important meal of the day, but a metaphor for Bonny’s relationship with a certain someone. It’s a sweet, if not overly sentimental track, that rounds out another solid EP.

The title track is the high point, but not by much, as the remaining two-thirds of the album feature some solid production despite a few lyrical hiccups (“you’re my Barbie and I’ll be your Ken,” for example). In all, another solid outing by Kansas City’s soul survivor.

— trevan mcgee { ink }