Review of Christian O first EP “A Little Bit of Everything”

Christian O released “A Little Bit of Everything” in May. Though he seems to have interesting things to say, the presentation is overly familiar.

Christian O began releasing music in Los Angeles toward the end of 2015. After producing a few singles, he put together his first full EP entitled A Little Bit of Everything. The pop album was released on May 2 and a second record will soon follow. Through videos and lyrics on select tracks, it seems clear that Christian O has statements to make. However, the music itself often falls short, failing to bring a unique quality to grab listener attention.

A Little Bit of Everything opens with a track called “Wild Kids.” The tech-heavy tune contains familiar combinations of danceable club rhythms with light and repetitive vocals layered on top. Curiously, the most interesting thing about this track is the accompanying video. Depicting four people carrying out what appears to be a bank heist, the story takes an unexpected turn.

 

 

“Wild Kids” video ends with stolen cash getting piled up and burned. A strong statement unto itself, it is additionally difficult to overlook the featuring of highly recognizable masks. These face pieces, made famous in “V for Vendetta” are now widely utilized by hacktivist group Anonymous. Whether or not this reference is intentional, considering the possible message proves more engaging than the tune itself.

Ongoing hints of an underlying message

Track two on A Little Bit of Everything is the catchy tune “Better Than You." With hints of a middle-eastern bent in tonality, it quickly gets stuck in listener’s heads. An accompanying video depicts dancers in pared-down costumes performing together. The video then alternates between couples of different orientations, seemingly going through breakup conversations.

 

 

It is refreshing to see Christian O using couples of the same sex in identical contexts as their heterosexual counterparts. The sense of its utterly casual placement is more powerful than if it had been excessively highlighted. A similar concept plays out in a later track titled “Adam & Eve,” in which the artists talks openly about his bisexual experiences.

As A Little Bit of Everything continues, tracks such as “Fu.Ku,” “You” and “Only Friend” are somewhat unremarkable. Bearing familiar pop tempos and content, none particularly stand out. “Solo Stoner” is one of the few departures from this mold. With deeper tones and an echoy feel, Christian O delivers a smooth performance on this track.

A Little Bit of Everything concludes with “My Destination.” A standout on the album, it combines lyrical interest, pleasing tonal variation and a sense of honest emotion. Unfortunately, much of the record falls short in delivering uniqueness. It would have been interesting to hear more of artist's underlying statements, or greater dynamics in musical quality.

Exploring potential

Fans of easy dance tunes will likely enjoy A Little Bit of Everything as background clubs or party music. It will be interesting to see Christian O's development as an artist -- hopefully propelling himself to the foreground. It seems he does have vocal talent and interesting thoughts to dig in to. Listeners will look forward to hearing him explore these further in the future.

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