Kendrik Baker brings about some uplifting good vibes with this latest single Take My Hand. Everything from the opening instrumentation to the performance and lyricism leans in the direction of optimism and positivity. There are dashes of truth and sometimes turmoil within the bars, but for the most part what you take away from this track is the warm glow of the vibe and the energizing nature of the music.
From the offset the song lays out a certain mellow aura, thoughtful and quietly expressive. Production-wise there’s a simplicity to the whole thing, the set-up is calm and partly organic – the sound and the vocal fragments that introduce the song sound beautiful and create an easily welcoming mood.
When the verses begin, the sudden quickness of that vocal pace is a little unexpected. The performance is almost whispered to the listener, seeming distant within the mix and making the lyrics take something of a backseat as the general rhythm and groove of the music and the melody drive. By the time the hook section comes into play there’s been a significant development in terms of how things evolve and progress. Certain lyrics start to stand out, and you begin to gather a clearer understanding of the whole thing.
Kendrik Baker has a humble way with music, his vocal style is laid back yet easily capable – always meandering in a seemingly effortless manner, naturally meeting the needs of the moment and expressing the underlying emotion in a genuine way. In this case, Take My Hand offers a quickly memorable melody – the long-form verses help create a mellow pulse that entrances the listener, then the hook hits with that subtle ear-worm and makes certain you walk away humming the tune.
You get the details more clearly later on, melody falls away to let concept drive the experience, so with each new listen you can connect a little more with the underlying sentiments – thus, for the smooth musical fans out there, this track quickly becomes an easy go-to when isolated escapism is needed; or a little time to consider things in more depth. It’s a good track to vibe to and share with those around you, but it’s a great track to sit back and calm down to. A well crafted release with worthy performances from all involved.
