Take a seat inside a hydraulic car, put the windows down and begin to experience the ups and downs of love and life through the lens of r&b singer Josh Levi with his new album "Hydraulic." The 27-year-old singer originally from Houston, Texas, begins to show his love life with “Rodeo,” and admits he’s experienced it all in love before. “This ain’t my first rodeo, you should know. Heartbroken, I've been that. In love, I did that.” Through the drum beats he repeats nothing is new for him. “Windows down so you can’t look at me but she ain’t only mine, she's for these streets and I don’t even mind, cause if you've seen it once, then you've seen it all before.” With the play of voice pitch and falsettos, Levi makes it clear if he goes through the motions again, he is ready.
In “Empty”, he describes the floor no longer has the pile of clothes of someone he was once involved with and since that person decided to leave, he had to let go, but the girl is texting him again and reminiscing. “Talking like it's my fault, I could still make the call and little did you know I closed the door… You can’t hold, you can't hold it against me.” He was in love with this women, but after some time he finally let go. “And I saw you leave a message. Do I got you reminiscing? Did you open your eyes? Can you see what I see? I was all you need.” He still cares enough to write this song as he sings, “When you're all alone and your girls are gone, no onе's on your phone and you play this song, to get in your feelings. Just go and find your reasons.” Whoever he is signing to had their walls up while he was trying to get to know them. “If there's a world where you’d still be my girl, you'd have to soften up your heart. I ain't that hard to love. No, I just wanted you.”
With a sample of '90s group Destiny’s Child “No, No, No Pt. 2,” Levi brings his own faster flow in “Don’t Go.” Whether he is singing to the same women from the previous track or another women, he can’t seem to get this individual to leave him. “She don't want the party to end, so she lay back down ‘cause she know I can do it again. She said, 'Don't, don't, don't, don't go. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yet' " The early 2000’s influenced r&b track, will definitely get the listener on their feet to groove and possibly even do some break dancing. Despite his hesitation, he won’t leave her either. “You want it all, you want more of me. You're the only place I wanna be right now. I give you everything I got, blow your back out, goin' deep.”
The slower paced songs begin with “Care 4 Me.” With the start of violins, Levi sings, “I used to be a loverboy. Maybe I am, I don't know no more. At night, the lines blur my eyes. The days seem to fly. I’m usually on my own.” He seems to be stuck in a position where he isn’t heartless, but he also isn’t full of love and wants to let a new women know if she can care for him. “Can you care for me? Bе my guarantee. Can you care for me? Tell mе honestly.” Two minutes and 30 seconds in the track, it transitions to a second part where Levi’s voice is slightly highly pitched. He continues to sing, “There's a lot I won't do, but the things I do for you. I wouldn't do that shit for no one else. Nobody else, not even for myself. Tomorrow might never come, so, baby.”
The almost five minute track is the perfect transition to the next track “The Room.” Here it could be speculated he continues to speak to the same women from "Empty" or a women who wont let him go and Levi cant get her out of his mind despite his motivation to move on. "I wish I could forget like you, get you out my mind when I want to. Every time I'm loving on someone new, it's like you're right there in the room. We ain't together no more, what you haunting me for? Every time I'm loving on someone new, it's like you're right there." He replays the memories of this women in his room but in the end they are better off as friends. This track continues the same rhythms of early 2000's music.
"Nameonit" brings out the cowbell instrument and more bass beats, while Levi sings to get the attention of a certain person, but he only has intentions to have a good time. "Those dirty eyes, they never hide. That truth inside is spilling out all over me. Now the bed ain't got no frame on it. In your birthday suit, make it rain on it." The temptation is hitting and he is going to continue to persuade this person to get what he wants. "Wе could do it Monday to SundayI'm talking left, right, back, and front ways. Turn your freak on, get it off of your chеst. Keep the beat going, I can show you what's next. Follow my lead, let me see you two-step." Will she take his bait?
Levi continues this similar sensual persuasion with "Say It," "RNB" and "Feel the Bass," as he is simply wanting to make love for a night.
In "Crash Out" he collaborates with trio r&b girl group FLO and sing about making rounds of love while bringing the metaphorical meaning of taping out like in wrestling.
From love and sex, Levi changes the mood by singing about feeling "Burnt Out" with the next track. "And sometimes I wish the world would slow down. Can't hear my voice now. 'Im 'bout to zone out. I can't be the only one that's starting to feel jaded and I'm tired of tripping on the shit I can't control. I think I'm losing patience, and it's hard for me to fake it. What is the point of waiting?" A harp and castanets are instruments played in this track, that brings a more slow ballad to the feeling he continues to describe. "I'm 'bout to zone out. I'm getting burnt out, I wanna go now. I'm feeling left out." He ends the song with a prayer. "Dear Lord, please give me strength. On how to understand this weird world. Show me the way, in Jesus' name, amen."
The slow ballads continue with the last two tracks "I Can't Go Outside" and "How It's Supposed To Be." He reflects on his past relationships and acknowledges there's always space to grow.
Josh Levi brings a new r&b style in this album, while still combining past r&b influences in history. After listening to "Hydraulic" the listener may not want to take their seat belt off and get out the car, but rather go for another ride.
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