Bilal’s 2010 effort Airtight’s Revenge is as non-conformist as 2010 R&B is concerned.  Bilal smartly makes no concessions to the hip-hop leanings of modern R&B and continues in the neo-/retro-soul vein that has made him a hot commodity, mainly as a collaborative artist.  On his sophomore set, Airtight’s Revenge, Bilal recreates pure seventies soul without making it sound like an anachronism in2010. Sure, it may not be the “gimmicky” R&B that dominates the airwaves today, but because of the album’s pronounced maturity and poise, it is certainly one of the best and sincerest R&B albums in recent times.  Through eleven creative and masterfully written songs encompassing themes of love and social hardship, Bilal further puts question marks in the head of soul lovers everywhere as to why he has been so underrated and under-appreciated over his career.   

“Cake and Eat It Too” serves as a sensational opening cut for Airtight’s Revenge.  On this valedictory first cut, Bilal showcases a complete,  soulful vocal performance.  Here Bilal exhibits masterful falsetto and exceptional vocal phrasing that would make the late,great Marvin Gaye extremely proud.  On the equally enjoyable follow-up cut “Restart”, Bilal is supported by a modern-disco production - perfect for Bilal’s retro leanings.  During the catchy refrain, Bilal asks “is it too late/to start again/ you know I lost my whole direction/but its you that I want...” without ever citing the title of the cut - now that is superb songwriting.

On “All Matter,” Bilal asks the perennial question “what is love?” and answers himself stating love is “cool on the outside, hot in the middle.” “All Matter”proves to be another home-run for  Bilal.  “Flying” has a unique ‘stream of consciousness’ flow to its songwriting, which is respectable. While it is unique, “Flying” is a bit of stretch for the more mainstream soul listener, finding Bilal using an ‘out-of-the-box’ approach to address serious social issues. Though, let us not be so quick to forget the late, great Curtis Mayfield who often focused upon social issues through blaxploitation. 

Continuing in a slightly left of center vein, after an extended two-minute instrumental introduction, Bilal lends his soulful vocals to paint a canvas of mysterious quality on “Levels.” Much like an Erykah Badu performance, “Levels” leaves the listener in awe and unsure how to perceive what has been heard.  Bilal returns to ‘earth’ on the more conservative, yet relevant and poignant “Little One,” a track that accentuates the beauty of Bilal’s voice. 

“Move On” finds the crooner “moving on” from disgruntled love and while this cut should sound cliché, Bilal makes the issue of ‘love gone wrong’ as fresh as ever with his sensitive vocal performance. A cut like “Robot” possesses gimmickry, but it is a completely different sense of gimmickry than other modern R&B; here, Bilal creatively pushes the envelope of traditional R&B by placing his on spin on it.  As far a the production work, it sounds just as ‘robotic’ as its title. 

Track nine, “The Dollar” finds Bilal dabbling in social issues once more (homelessness, finances), but the result is more enjoyable than “Flying,” despite the unique, busy production work. Vocally here, Bilal channels soul great Curtis Mayfield nearly flawlessly.  Penultimate track “Who Are You” does not dissolve the least bit of momentum, providing one of the best written tracks of the album as far as the depth of lyricism. Here Bilal sings numerous lyrical contradictions with such well penned lines as “I’m a lover, I’m a fighter, I’m a saint, I’m a sinner, etc,” which are both entertaining yet incredibly mature.  Closing cut “Think It Over” ends a solid album on a high note.

Airtight’s Revenge is nearly perfect, which is hard to say in an urban music industry that has become easily convoluted by ‘everyone being alike’ and being commercial.  Sure Airtight’s Revenge may not make Bilal a gold-selling R&B singer, but he should revel in the fact he has made a solid and creative tour deforce through 2010’s Airtight’s Revenge.  It receives my highest seal of approval.

Brent Faulkner

The Urban Music Scene