Time

Time

Ekko's debut album, Time, guest lineup reportedly ranges from hitmakers Benny Blanco, Ryan Tedder and Stargate to TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek, Modest Mouse/Elvis Costello producer Dennis Herring and avant-hip-hop artist Clams Casino. In many ways, Mikky Ekko couldn't have chosen a better title for his debut album than Time. Set for release on RCA this fall, Time will arrive nearly two years to the date after he first shot to mainstream fame as the co-writer and featured vocalist on Rihanna's emotive hit “Stay,” which peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100 in April 2013. Though the song's runaway success earned Ekko a slot on the 2013 Grammy Awards performing alongside Rihanna (and a subsequent nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at this year's ceremony), the 29-year-old singer-songwriter will be the first to admit he wasn't ready to properly follow up his first smash. Review Mikky Ekko has always been an eclectic artist, blending pop, folk, R&B, and hip-hop influences with a dramatic, romantic flair. However, his breakthrough single, the Grammy-nominated Rihanna duet “Stay,” set expectations for and perceptions about his music that he clarifies on his debut album, Time. As on the collaborations with David Guetta and Chris Malinchak that arrived before the album, Ekko spends a fair amount of Time expanding his sound and downplaying anything that comes too close to “Stay”'s piano balladry: the album begins with the ingratiatingly fizzy single “Smile” and doesn't delve into slower, moodier territory until its second half with brooding tracks like “Mourning Doves” and “Comatose.” In between, Ekko works with a who's who of producers from many styles of music, including TV on the Radio's David Sitek, pop hitmakers Benny Blanco, Stargate, and Ryan Tedder, and left-field hip-hop sound-shaper Clams Casino. While these collaborations give Time versatility and polish, the way the album touches on so many trends sometimes feels scattered. The title track nods to folk-rock's popularity with its brisk acoustic guitars and strings; “Riot” feels like a kissing cousin to OneRepublic's an­themic sound; and “Love You Crazy” and “U” deliver slightly different variations on lush, slick R&B-tinged pop. It all sounds very chart-friendly in a kitchen sink kind of way that doesn't necessarily give a clear idea of what kind of artist Ekko is. While Time's second half isn't quite as hooky, it does feel more genuine, with songs like “Burning Doves” and “Loner” delivering a more distinctive sound that's catchy without feeling Ekko was asked to fit into another artist's mold. Time reaffirms that there's more to Ekko's music than ballads, but a little more consistency would have made this a confident debut instead of a promising one. Heather Phares – Allmusic.com