Even at the age four, his music talents were evident. As a child, Derek Reese was involved in drum and piano lessons. His love for music, passed down from his family of successful musicians, was apparent for his whole life. He recorded his first single, “Big Boy,” when he was only 8 years old. He cites a wide variety of influences ranging from Jimi Hendrix to Stevie Wonder to Dizzy Gillespie. And his interesting mix of pop, soul and R&B shine through on his self-titled album.
He played every instrument on this album, as well as recorded, and engineered it himself. His passions become clear when listening to his songs. Derek Reese’s voice shines through beginning at the first track, backed by a truly remarkable mix of rock, soul and R&B. His music is soothing and relaxing. Most of the songs had a slow tempo, and a soft dynamic.
At one point, it seemed as if some of the songs shared all of the same characteristics, but with subtle changes in each. Slow acoustics, steady drumbeats and sometimes a little electric guitar riff sprinkled in. Although Derek Reese is a talented musician, whether he is on drums, guitar or vocals, I was only mildly impressed with this first full-length release. At first listen, I liked it, but the songs started to sound the same and lyrics became repetitive. After a while, I found myself bored with this album. All in all, in small doses, this could be nice, but as a whole it fell a bit short.
In A Word: Pleasant
