The allure of ambient music and its applications in pop structures has always been an important topic for Niecy Blues. It has been a conjunction that the artist has been playing with on shorter releases, in both the 2020 EP CRY and the 2021 single Bones Become The Trees. But, it is with this full-length in Exit Simulation, that Blues can fully dive into the ethereal realm, and in the process unveil the underlying vision. And what is central here is the re-interpretation of blues and R&B, with some sprinkles of gospel music, through an ambient lens.
The mesmerizing start to “1111” sets the tone, the dreamy scenery set through atmospheric means. It is a deconstructed vision of R&B, one that retains the core components but throws away any notion of extravagance. So, feeling, groove and sentimentality stay in for a stunning ride through beautiful soundscapes, something that carries in through “Violently Rooted.” Blues continue to unfold these interpretations throughout the work, as the bass line of “U Care” suggests. Yet, it is not just the more contemporary takes on R&B, exemplified by the likes of D’Angelo or Erykah Badu, that make this point. Blues travels further back in time, nearing the gospel music influence on the genre. It is something that first appears almost accidentally with the final recordings of a choir in “U Care.” But, this initial promise turns into full bloom in the re-interpretation of the genre that is the glorious “Paralysis Analysis.”
It has been always the case that Blues used experimental means to achieve this genre refactoring. Even though these were slightly understated in CRY and Bones Become The Trees, Kranky took notice. Here, Blues liberates this approach further, as the minimal is revealed in the shorter interludes, like “The Nite B4.” Concrete musique ideas appear in “U Care,” and things get only more daring. The disfigured percussive sonic artifacts in “Lament” open the pathway to an alternate dimension, the aspects of R&B momentarily becoming a fleeting mirage. Similarly, the strange percussive qualities of “The Architecture” further highlight the descent into an avant-garde ideal.
Still, it is a balancing act that Niecy Blues performs. The record might be standing between tradition and adventure, but what prevails in the end is a sense of elegance. Exit Simulation is a delicate work, that always feels like it is hanging by a thread. The pristine acoustic guitars of the title track and “Cascade” or the beautiful piano lines in “Soma” flow with emotion and passion, as understated as these might appear. Because beneath the surface is a deep appreciation for the feeling of R&B, the spirituality of gospel, and how these can be reconfigured to a different effect. It is all paralleled through the jazz infusions, stuck in the background of “Soma,” revealing a fiery spirit beneath layers of cool composure.
