Dornik - Dornik

Dornik
Dornik
2015

Dornik the self titled premiere from the south London R&B is a blend of Michael Jackson meets D'Angelo, and quite a bit in between. From the first track the comparison to the King of Pop is undeniable, the synths the light touch and the almost effortless swagger is all there. Unlike many of his counterparts in the similar psychedelic R&B genre (The Weekend, Miguel, Frank Ocean) Dornik is far less sexual and far less concerned with drugs. His lyrics are much sweeter and the music much more grounded in a classic Michael Jackson sound. What he lacks in edginess he makes up for in silky smoothness and a keen sense of rhythm. A former drummer for Jesse Ware Dornik experiments with different rhythm structures really allowing this album to explore space. The pacing however is where Dornik seems to fall behind his counterparts; this album tends to float along at a dreamy speed but never kicks in with any forceful punch. You are left waiting and waiting for something to pick up, or for Dornik to really let loose but it just never happens making the record sound pretty one note.

"Mountain" may be one of the only tracks where we actually hear Dornik let it loose, but He is still so constrained, and the vocal effect He is using doesn't let his voice really soar. The guitar solo is a nice addition to this track but never really allows it to pop. The choice to keep the album down tempo will probably keep Dornik out of any top 40 contention, but it does add a sultriness that most artists tend to overlook. "Chain Smoke" in particular is a rather sensual track without ever being overtly sexual. From the first track Dornik really hooks you in with his smooth classic sound but after 10 tracks of almost the exact same thing the record stalls out and becomes a bit boring. Definitely worth a listen but Dornik is probably more of a single record.

6 out of 10