Waking at Dawn [Expanded Edition]

Waking at Dawn falls in line with the OVO Sound aesthetic. The debut album from Toronto dweller Denzel Spencer, which follows a 2015 EP that featured mentor Drake, slinks and glides along, heavy on slow jams and ballads. Spencer and his collaborators are likewise invested more in evoking a mood -- most commonly conveyed with a drug-dazed, aroused petulance -- than songcraft. As with most of his labelmates and other Drake-supported acts, Spencer tends to sing about fielding conquests, pharmaceutical recreation, and conveying conflicted/tortured emotions, and he lures listeners with subtle melodic hooks over hypnotic, sometimes sleepy, productions. Spencer also has no problem displaying the influence of Michael Jackson, though his echoes are patterned after those throaty post-Thriller grunts. Only 20 years old, Spencer shows some potential and has plenty of time to develop a distinct voice. At its best, Waking at Dawn is slyly stimulating. ~ Andy Kellman