Producer, songwriter, and multi-Grammy-winning artist Camper has released his debut project, Campilation.
Formerly known as DJ Darhyl Camper Jr., the producer has assembled a truly impressive roster of artists for this project. Featuring Lucky Daye, Ari Lennox, Jeremih, Jill Scott, Ty Dolla $ign, Syd (of The Internet), WanMor, Alex Isley, Rose Gold, Tone Stith, Terrace Martin, Arin Ray, Victoria Monet, pop princess Brandy, and the legendary Stevie Wonder, Campilation is very much a who’s who of Camper’s contacts.
Setting itself up as a mixtape, Campilation is equal parts classic soul and contemporary R&B, all wrapped up in crisp production. The opening track, “TONIGHT” featuring Lucky Daye, sets up Camper’s intentions for the rest of the album; slick bass, vocal loveliness, and a whole orchestra’s worth of instrumental wonder. This is the kind of thing that makes Camper special; there’s no extra fluff added, but each addition to the production is calculated well.
One particularly gorgeous track – which arguably could have been the mixtape’s opener – is “Love Me” featuring Stevie Wonder. There’s an absolute treat of a harmonica solo, and the track’s looping vocal-and-synth glissando is wonderful, with none of it overstaying its welcome. It’s both complex and uncomplicated, and gorgeously done.
It’s no surprise that Campilation, which is steeped in soul and R&B royalty, is incredibly rich in genuinely beautiful vocals. Between the smooth sounds of Boyz II Men offspring WanMor, the high-and-sweet sounds of Syd, and the straight-forward pop perfection of Brandy (to name just a few of Campilation’s packed talent roster), every track is a treat for the senses. It’s unhurried, totally unrushed (instrumentally, at least), and note-perfect.
Another favourite is “SPEAK TO ME,” featuring Terrace Martin and Arin Ray, which switches up the rhythm of the rest of the album a little with slightly more up-tempo percussion and saxophone backing, turning up the rest of the album’s jazz flirtations for a soulful listening experience. The decision to delve into jazz more explicitly on this track creates a different mood towards the end of Campilation, to great effect.
The album’s closer, “LOVE YOU,” featuring Victoria Monet, features some lovely flute trills, alongside the album’s ubiquitous smooth piano, and really makes perfect use of Victoria Monet’s beautiful vocals. The one place it falls down is its lyrical repetition, which really ends up being the bane across all of Campilation.
Which, unfortunately, is where the album runs into its main problem; it has a definite theme and utterly refuses to deviate from it. This could definitely be a problem for some listeners who are craving something possibly challenging and esoteric – but for many, the ease that Campilation is offering is a joy in and of itself.
Are the lyrics definitely a problem? Sort of. Every artist on Campilation is singing some variation of ‘desire is impossible to resist’, over and over – but it’s not like that isn’t a winning formula. Even when the lyrics start getting repetitive, the instrumentation and production is more than ready to back up any potential weak spots. It might genuinely just be that Campilation is so lovely that it doesn’t need further depth, and can just be enjoyed as-is.
There’s a lot to recommend Campilation, which should be more than obvious; you don’t surround yourself as a producer with this level of talent and manage to come out with something that isn’t at least slightly worth the time it takes to listen. Fortunately for Camper, while the lyricism on Campilation is definitely a bit lacking, everything else is solid enough – or outright enjoyable enough – to keep it recommend-able. It might not stick the landing, but it’s worth repeated listens.
Campilation definitely won’t suit everyone, but for an artist like Camper himself, who has already had the kind of career that others can only dream of, that’s definitely more than okay.
Connect with Camper: Instagram
