Imagine a nostalgic rapper who aims to bring back the soul from the ’70s, grew up in a troubled neighborhood surrounded by violence, and has overcome difficult odds despite not having the support from others. This all too familiar scenario is the blueprint for Donny Goines’ Minute After Midnight. Betrayal, whether by the industry, society or God, permeates every track of this album, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but the execution doesn’t really offer a new perspective on an old tale. The album is the strongest in the last two tracks-when Goines is rhyming about his loves rather than his regrets or resignations. ‘As The World Turns’ gives Goines a chance to rhyme about his love for music without falling into the tired, nostalgia present on ‘What Happened’ . ‘As The World Turns’ takes listeners on a tour around the world to show that inspiration for ‘beautiful music’ is around every corner. Despite the strength of this creative cut, it is ‘Heaven Is With You’ that provides the albums most note worthy cut. A beautifully tragic song about a father visualizing how his son’s life would have unfolded if tragedy had not come upon him best demonstrates Goines’ strength as a storyteller. This is a song that listeners can invest in, one that they will be moved to listen to again, and showcases that he does have the ability to craft something that will touch his listeners in a unique way. Hopefully the stories that he provides in the future, whether from his own experiences or from another source, will continue where this last cut left off rather than where this album began.

RELATED POSTS:

No related posts.