Album Review - “Vacancy” by Ari Lennox

Vacancy by Ari Lennox is a standout project that highlights the raw emotion missing in the world of modern R&B, moving away from the current crop of artists that cosplay as rappers without the lyrical acumen. Instead, Ari, through sensuality, relaxing tones, and declarations of love, croons her way through fifteen tracks, crafting a project that is sonically elegant and refined, in the color of Neo Soul brown. 

The special talent of Ari Lennox is not her voice. Granted, while her voice is one of the strongest instruments in all of music, her bread and butter is always her relatable songwriting, and tremendous layering, making every song into a momentous occasion that covers every emotion from feeling loved to the sweaty-palmed anticipation of trying a new sexual partner for the first time. Ari not only captures these moments in their purest essence, but she also ensures that her sound world builds the environment, making you feel as though you’ve gone through the same experience yesterday. 

Nearly an hour in run-time, you would be hard-pressed to find so much as a rough moment in this project. It’s water-smooth, and brings you into a world that’s shea-butter smooth, with Ari leading the way with rhythms representing the tried-and-true formula of her previous efforts, and one which fans will appreciate whether it’s the first or tenth listen. It simply works. 

Whether it’s early-listen favorites like “Horoscope” or the Buju Banton-assisted “Company,” this album should be on everyone’s radar moving forward. You can listen to the album here.