Let's Talk About Lil Spook

Or Spooky Black. I'm not sure which he officially goes by.

Earlier this week, when I arrived home from my 20 day road trip, one of the first things my neighbor told me was, "Oh my god, I have something to show you. You're gonna love this!"

It's not uncommon for me to hear this at least a couple times a week from him, but he knows my musical tastes pretty well, so I made an effort to genuinely listen when, later, we sat on his bed getting ready to marathon all the music videos we'd been waiting to show each other in my absence.

The song was "Without U" and the accompanying music video was...interesting.

See for yourself.



Intrigued by this young, white, maybe-aspiring R&B artist, I did a little research. His name is Corbin Smidzik from St. Paul, Minnesota. His Bandcamp page showed that he has a full album of material ready and waiting for you to buy. With the name your own price option (starting at $1), I couldn't resist and put up $3 to hear what else this kid had up his sleeve. (Apparently I'm late to the game because he released this album on Feb. 28)

Black Silk by Lil Spook is what you get once the file downloads. It's 11 tracks long and it will keep you glued to your seat for the full 38 minutes.

One thing that I like about this album is that it's roomy. His voice echoes out from the depths and while he has multiple layered sounds, none of them are competing - just complementing. Tiny bells, bird chirps, and various other sounds lend themselves to build up a fantasy world around Spook's voice.

I commend him and the noted producers for doing such a wonderful job of creating catchy beats, but allowing the lyrics to play an equally important role. It's easy to have an imbalance, especially on a first album.

This album might work for fans of The Weeknd and James Blake. If you're checking Lil Spook out for the first time, I recommend "Forest Sounds," "Remember You," and "Without U."

Honestly, this is some pretty sexy stuff. I'm not sure if that's a result of Spook's voice or his ability to rock a gold chain, turtleneck, and do rag. Either way, you might want to bring this into the bedroom if you're looking to get lucky soon.