Introduction
When Rick Ross burst hit the scene with his “Port of Miami’s” album, I wondered if anything else that’s good enough can come from the musical seashores of Miami. Well, as it turns out, there are so many little known musical talents who (I dare say) have been “pushed to the limit” of their best in the musical ferry port of Miami. Thus, bringing to light some of the greatest “upcoming” and established musical talents, and this time not in hip-hop, but in R&B, Rock and Soul music. Among them is Miami’s R&B groove-master—Fudakochi.
Making a different with “Soulternative”
One of the most significant characters that define the personality of any musician is creativity. Fudakochi has been rolling atop a series of EP songs since 2015, but frankly, the entire collection just didn’t have that touch of a genius. But being a soul survival and hardworking figure, ‘Foo-dah-CO-chee’ kept mixing and mingling with different ideas, and ‘pop,’ it goes; the grandson of Miami has created a unique sound/genre that he calls ‘Soulternative.’
Soulternative is a trippy and soulful vibe that contains hints of alternative goodness packed into one psychedelic package. Don’t ask me how or from where in hell he managed to get that sound. You may want to ask the Soul of Fudakochi because that’s the sound that is omnipresent in his latest album, “Love Invasion S.P, and it’s Soulternative that has got musical savvy folks like me hooked—both line and sinker.
Reaping the benefits of years of hard work
According to Fudakochi, he has been working on Soulternative for the past seven years. It was an Odyssey that began just after the release of his previous album, Alien Love, in 2012. Fudakochi did all his best to strike a ‘balance’ in this latest album. Love Invasion S.P, was a process that took him precious time and complete commitment. “I wanted it to be awesome,” he stated.
And what do we have now…..? A pretty remarkable result!
Overview of the Love Invasion Album
To be candid, Love Invasion is the type of album possessed with a backdrop hammer to knocking the shit out of a Red carpet in no time. It is the highlight of a climax evening when you’re just chilling with your brahs, or just right in da hood cruising with your homegirls. The 17 track-album is loaded with soothing beats, but to me, that wasn’t the killer hook. Personally, I don’t dance to musical sounds, I dance to the lyrics, and the synths in this album are amazing, together with rich and meaningful lyrics that hold you spellbound.
The album, Love Invasion S.P, is an emotionally charged piece that pierces body and soul with undivided attention and conviction. It touches on some real-life topics such as racism, lost love, the loss of a brother to cancer, soul freedom, having a daughter, and more heart-touching lyrical presentations.
Love Invasion was an album that was influenced by life situations, the challenges that confront a young man growing up in Overtown—a story that depicts the hard life that confronts minority people, especially those born without silver spoons, just trying to make a living out of nothing. And with fans favorite track, “MelaninPopping,” you’ve got yourself a new summer anthem.
Okay. Let’s see what each track have installed for its listeners.
Love Invasion Album by Tracks Reviews
Track#1. Invasion
Of course, this song set the stage for what to expect from the rest of the album. At first, I hated it because the instrumentation at the early stages of the song overpowers the singer’s voice. But I have grown accustomed to it, especially when you come to realize what the lyrics are saying. Fudakochi’s call for ‘freedom’ on this track was super intense, and it’s given me some rage against the Anti-Free Thinkers Movement. We all want to be free, don’t we? The instrumental is nice, eliciting a bit of chaotic yet flowing sound. Well, as an opening skit, this song isn’t bad at all.
Track#2. Colors of space
I love the beat on here, and Fudakochi’s flow along with the occasional bass background beat leaves a smooth, desired great hit. The hook by him was excellent and the backing vocals from the female voice sound impressive, especially with the echoes giving it some subtle fine-tuning. Like most of the tracks on this album, this one lasted 2 minutes and 7 seconds. But the message was clear—love and call for care. The track is a mixture of alternative soul, and R&B beats blended to create a crisp sound. Not bad either.
Track#3. Attention
Now, this track bore a touch of the “Soulternativesound.” As the track’s name implies, the soulful-R&B instrumentals and background echoes calls you to attention. The track was more about vibe than lyrics. Only on occasion did Fudakochi’s voice make a show off the hook in the track. Notwithstanding, the track is about persevering in the light of challenges, paying close-to-detail attention to happenings. It’s more of a call to vigilance and focus; one of the dominating realities of this album.
Track#4. Welcome
Again, this track is similar to the previous one. It’s all about beats and vibes, with deep soulful background sound projection. That’s what you can expect from a mixture of soul and R&B music—the real genre of the ‘Soulternative’ sound. At some points, you might wonder if this was a song at all or just some beats put together for the sake of it. Nevertheless, it does what it is meant to do—showcase a bit of the unique ‘Soulternative’ sound—and the robotic feminine voice echoing in the background gives it some subtle reverb spice. But this isn’t my kind of music.
Track5#. Navigator
Now, this is where the real action of the Soulternative sound spirit began kicking in the album. For the first time in the whole album, Fudakochi’s voice sounded commanding and compelling. With the first line of the song saying, “are you ready to go?” Yeah, are you ready to travel to “Soulternative Space? The song is typically psychedelic, and his vocal postulation was great, rightly complementing the soulful vibes and R&B reverbs in the entire equation of the track. For the first time, I started liking this man. This is the track that navigates you to Soulternative musical wonderland.
Track#6. No Fear
Here is another track that closely mirrored the settings of track number 3 and 4. One would have expected the action started by the ‘Navigtor’ track to go higher, but it didn’t, and that was a bit disappointing. This track is more of sounds and vibes, and nothing more. Although the lyrics are comforting—talking about reassurance—the no-show in vocals and actionable flow of hooks watered down an exciting buildup from the previous track. Again, this is not my type of music.
Track#7. Spaceborn
Now, the disappointment in the previous track was eradicated with this powerful song called spaceborn. This song is full of deep meanings. It is a love song that carries a lot of symbolism. The lyrics are powerful, and with lines like “her womb is where I landed,…my time in space has ended…for now, ” all depict the act of loving and falling out of love. This track is psychedelic and embodies the essence of Soul and alternative music. I like this song with a passion.
Track#8. MelaninPoppin
Here comes the track of all tracks. MelaninPoppin is the track that defines the very foundation of the Soulterntive genre. In an ideal world of fairness, MelaninPoppin should get Fudakochi on the top charts, and probably get him some awards.
The instrumental is a perfect mix of R&B with soft rap, and a blend of soul music at its tip. Fudakochi’s vocals on this track were glorious, haunting and sound defiant. The soulful vibe behind this song is more than enough to keep you fresh. It is a song every black fellow in the US should love. It boasts of the black color, representing the mantra of the Black Lives Matters Movement, as well as reechoing the voices of black legends, James Brown and Martin Luther King Jr. of blessed memories. If you don’t love this song, you are likely to be racist. (Just kidding buddy).
And one more thing. Did you get the DJ’s yarn at the beginning and end of the track? She said, “..we are no longer international (remember DJ Khalid?,) we are global now..” Yeah, that spice was hot, and truly, MelaninPoppin is the track that has launched Fudakochi into the global scene. It’s the song music lovers and reviewers from all continents are talking about at the moment.
Track#9. Black Love
Following up with the high flow from ‘MelaninPoppoin,’ Fudakochi kills it again with yet another song that takes pride in the African black beauty. Black Love boast of the beauty camouflaged in the black woman’s DNA. The soul vibe was excellent, and the first verse by Fudakochi took off on an intense vocal presentation. Nice song to play and relax with during the evening. The song highlights the legacy of the African beauty and race, vowing not to compromise from being black to something else. That’s deep music for you.
Track#10. Euphoria
Honestly, when I saw the word ‘euphoria,’ I was expecting a skit with a cringe and restricted vibe flow. Well, that expectation came half fulfilled. Initially, the female voice laughing in the beginning may tempt you to press the next button, but the beat that follows thereafter gives you a reason to listen to the end. It’s more on vibes than hooks and bridges.
Track#11. LoveSpace
“Where are we?” is the question that greeted the listener at the start of this track. With so many difficulties in life, there are times we start asking questions about where we are, what is happening. That’s what “Lovespace” is all about. The vibes and soul-mood presentation gives you a cause to travel on memory lane and reminisce about the past and present. It’s a good song.
Track#12. Joy
This is one of my best songs in the Love Invasion album. I feel like I’m being ‘invaded’ by ‘Joy’ listening to this track. Is someone bringing you joy in your life? Think about that, and never take that person for granted. That is what this song is all about. From start to finish, the vibe was powerful, and Fudakochi’s vocals were so clear that you can sing along. The song depicts the happiness brought by the birth of a new child. Do you have one? Love him/her, that’s your joy.
Track#13. You are a star
Weird sound at the beginning of this sound makes me feel I’m in a kind of horror movie. But like I said earlier, it’s lyrics that own a song, and this one was great. “You are a star” is a reassuring message. The song has only three lines in the entire lyrics. The rest is just repetition.
Track#14. Together
Super beat and solid soul vibe and R&B combination are the beat theme that defines this track. Here, Fudakochi was more pronounced in his vocal delivery. The hooks were intense, and the vibes depict a severe topic under dissection. “Together” is about making something to happen under a common goal. For those who are experiencing challenges in their love life, working together with their partners will bring expected results. So let’s do it together. Two heads are always better than one. I love this song.
Track#15. Always here
From step to steps, Fudakochi’s Love Invasion album started making much sense. This track is super regarding the message and vibes. The song is all about a vow and commitment to be there for one and other in a time of need. No matter the circumstances, time, or place, a real friend, brother, sister, or lover, will always be there to help and support a loved one. Fudakochi was very emotional on this track, and it almost brings me to tears thinking about my late sister. The vibes and background reverb were highly passionate and soulful. Here is a song for you die-hard lovers and carers, always be there for someone while they still breathe.
Track#16. Ethiopian Love
Here is another fantastic song that I rolled with when I first played this album. I just can’t restrain myself from repeating the track over and over again. The beat sounds excellent, and the hook is amazingly awesome. Thanks to Fudakochi’s clear vocals, you can sing along with this track. It has a definite touch of R&B and that killer Soulternative sound. Of course, “Ethiopian love” defines the very best of Soul-driven affair. The chorus and the drag at the end of the ‘love’ were so touching and mesmerizing that anyone would instantly fall in love with it.
Track#17. Libertion
What better way to round up a soulful album other than just great instrumentals and a faint voice in the background? Fudakochi rounds off an incredible album with a trump and piano sound killing it amidst a thunderous standing ovation from an imaginary crowd of satisfied lifers. “Libertion” is less or more a closing curtain skit with less of vocals and more of instrumentals. It successfully brings to an end the unique work of a down-to-earth artist that abides by the principle of realism and natural creativity.