Album Review: Quite Nyce – Through My Eyes (2009)

Album Review: Quite Nyce – Through My Eyes (2009)
Rating: 3 out of 5 Potholes

GRIND. Worcester, Mass. emcee Quite Nyce knows those five letters better than the mixtape shouters that name songs and movements for it; ‘working hard’ doesn’t constitute punching vocals 2o times in a verse because you can’t stay on beat. Dedication to your craft pays off in ways besides fame and financial prosperity. Having the insight to be able to put together a personal (not mushy or self-exploitative) album such as Through My Eyes is a skill as important to the survival of emceeing as an art form as flow, lyricism, or dare I say it, chart position and public acceptance.

Said skill is what keeps this album from hitting the generic and meandering status of a number of lesser-known records that never catch the public eye for fear of preachiness or stagnation (y’all know I’m right, I take the underground to task too). It’s pretty apparent that Quite Nyce has more to offer than typical ‘wack emcees’ diatribes that plague said offerings; ‘see what I see, a man driven/a man giving endless supplies of himself”, as he states on “I Alone”, being a perfect example.

Just from observing the consistency of the lyrics, you can tell that Nyce took his time with this record, recording steadily over time as opposed to staying in the studio for two weeks and finishing before the tough-guy pose can be cropped in Photoshop. Nyce’s rhyme style is deceptively versatile, weaving in and out of topics deftly and always effectively enhancing the vocal performance. He seems more concerned with his contributions to Hip Hop than he is the state of if due to neglect; this is refreshing and provides a peek into his process without spelling it out, making the listening experience much more rewarding. Short on features (singers Paul Dateh “Head Over Heels” and Lisa Denise on “I Alone”, and Icon The Mike King on “The Specialist”), there’s breathing room for Nyce’s thoughts to roam free.

The beats vary from above average to stellar. From the understated but powerful “Jazzolution” to the laid back but urgent “Hold You Back”, the sonics of the record are varied and at the same time uniform, which is indicative of only a few hands stirring the musical stew throughout.

Unfortunately, the production is both a strength and a weak point of the record. The music is far from subpar, and the mixing is neither muddy nor spit-shined to the point that the life leaves the backdrops. However, the tempos of the songs seem to run together for the first half of the record. While this is a small gripe, it’s a big enough one to take away from the listening experience over repeated plays.

Through My Eyes is definitely a worthwhile listen, as long as you like your Hip Hop honest and thoughtful. Despite a few missteps, Quite Nyce has constructed something personal for all of us to see…through the eyes of the creator.