Chi Turner

Artist: CHI TURNER
Album: Get 2 The Point (Dear Mr. Know It All)…an LP
Reviewed by Jason Randall Smith

Across the Canadian border, Vancouver-based singer/songwriter Chi Turner is on his creative grind again, watering the seed of folk-infused soul and reaping a harvest that displays far more categorical influences as a result. Fresh off the release of The Spring Cleaning E.P. back in May, his latest full-length swings and head bops through various emotions with each track. Delightfully schizophrenic with surprises around every corner, Get 2 The Point suggests what might happen if Prince and D’Angelo handed full creative control of their studio sessions over to Tricky. Across 10 tracks and only 35 minutes, you’ll feel as if you have been around the world by the time the album’s done.
Chi’s first impression upon the listener is that of a frustrated emcee, foreshadowing the point of reference that hip-hop plays throughout the album. “Check Your Self” doesn’t mince words as it lyrically throws up a middle finger towards lowest common denominator rap participants. When he exclaims “You know it’s hot” at the top of the song, he could be talking about the drum machine working overtime underneath him, emitting distorted kicks and noise-encrusted snares. The script is completely flipped by the next song, however, as “Come Home” switches the mood with syrupy abstract blues. Quaint cymbals, repetitive keys, and a warbling bass form shaky ground under Chi’s vocals, both tender and powerful with a falsetto that will pierce hearts and send chills down spines. “iLLusion” could be one of the most sonically addictive songs to drop this year, featuring a tranquil guitar loop that can’t quite escape the paranoia of ambient whispers and nightmarish electronic lasers that fall like rain. Chi’s harmonies provide comfort in the midst of the maelstrom, resulting in a curious arrangement and an earworm that won’t leave your head for days.
The reverb-laden beats of “Pitch It 2 The Top” are almost overpowered by sustained synthesizer chords. Chi sings the lyrics with the forcefulness of an emcee in freestyle mode, riding the beat and placing emphasis where necessary. The backing track possesses a triumphant tone that is washed away in a dub echo chamber by the song’s end. Brushes lightly beat a drum kit on “Thought U Woulda Called Me,” a jazzy number carried by a rhythm guitar and Chi’s aching falsetto. The simplicity of it all recalls Sly Stone during his There’s A Riot Goin’ On period, stripped-down soul devoid of unnecessary additives. This approach is in full bloom on “You Can Hear Things,” a perfect four-minute display of urban acoustics in shimmering Technicolor. The distortion and effects heard on previous songs are placed to the side, making room for plucked guitars and Chi’s beautifully layered vocals, which quickly fill the space all by themselves.
It’s only a matter of time before Mr. Turner feels the need to get necks snapping again and “Do Your Thing” makes good on that promise. Vinyl crackles envelop a hip-hop knock so tough that resistance is absolutely futile. Bells even toll in the distance just to drive the point home. While it may be a foolish notion for some to follow that up with a love ballad (“Here”), it should be obvious at this point that Chi Turner has a blatant disregard for what’s expected. Get 2 The Point is an album full of well-executed ideas that should be completely disparate from each other, but somehow come together to make a cohesive album. At times it feels like you’re listening to rough drafts because the production is so naked and raw, but these are not unfinished cuts. These are complete works that exude with an honesty often missing from even independent releases. On the offhand chance that this album undergoes some post-production polish before its official release in February 2012, let’s hope that the spit shine doesn’t remove all the grit from under its fingernails.

Reviewed by Jason Randall Smith
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
- Jason Randall Smith