Review | Shyne On Me, ‘Tracktice What You Preach’

America’s capital has not been this appealing in a very long time…

The Washington D.C. artist, Shyne On Me, delivers a “small collection of songs” that contains a bit of nostalgia and a whole lot of soul.

I actually was introduced to Shyne On Me earlier this year when I saw the visual for the track “Penny”, which you can view on our Videos page.

Sonically, Shyne hits your ears in a pleasant fashion that makes you ask “why have I not heard this before?” There is a raspy, melodic flow over subdued beats that still make you bounce. Even though people may not agree with me fully, there are definite elements of the south present in Shyne’s music and, to my ears, a slight hint of Kendrick in his vocals.

On ‘Tracktice What You Preach’, Shyne brings his experiences, struggles, and even his difficulties with his faith and lays them out with raw transparency for the listener.

Tracks

Intro – The opening track is a piano-accompanied vocal that takes you straight to the sanctuary. As the vocalist croons, “All of my life to you” it sets the stage for Shyne to dive into his tales of life and redemption.

Stumbling Blocks – Shyne welcomes you into his enjoyable style of storytelling on this track. The catchy piano is still there and Shyne’s voice compliments it well. He tackles a subject that we can all connect with and that is battling our flesh while striving to lead a life that God calls us to. “I feel like an easy target, why do I keep on falling?”.  This is easily one of my favorite tracks on the project. It may not be something you would hear on the radio, but it is one of those songs that just feels good and stays with you.

On God – This is one of those examples that I was referring to of Shyne having a southern side to him. The low-end drops right from the start and is joined by a very “dirrty” high-hat. The message in this song, which is one of being blessed, should have you not only excited but thankful to a God who daily watches over us. As Shyne says in the hook, “He got me, He got me, Everything is working for my good”. I dare you to listen to this track and not smile like when your momma says “baby I love you”.

Hitch Hike – One thing I really like about this EP is that the production is varied throughout, leading to a project that keeps your attention. While Shyne maintains his smooth delivery here, the beat adds a light bounce that separates the feel from its predecessors. Shyne is calling out God to help him along the road that he is currently traveling, “Would you pick me up, I’ve been traveling on this road for so long. I thought I could make it there on my own, Please don’t pass me by Lord can I ride along…take me away.”

Penny –  As stated previously, Shyne recorded a visual for this track and it is understandable as to why he chose it. The beat has a Bruno Mars-type ability to make you move, even if you are not one for dancing. “I ain’t slipping I’m winning, see confidence in my posture” Even though there is a part where the beat drops out, the one thing that I wish this track had would be a dramatic, instrumental breakdown. To me it is simply begging for it, especially with it being the EP’s closing song.

Overall this is a very solid offering from an artist that is sure to climb as the new year approaches.

You can give the EP a listen below. Hit us up in the comments and let us know what you think of Shyne On Me’s ‘Tracktice What You Preach’.

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My personal ranking of these tracks:

1.Stumbling Blocks
2. Penny
3. On God
4. Hitch Hike