On the music scene since 2000, Sir Ari Gold changed it up a bit with the release of his fourth studio album, Between the Spirit & the Flesh. Leaving the heavily R&B influences behind, Gold went down a strict pop direction and crafted a project that showed talent and a reinvention. The album’s lead single, “Make My Body Rock”, was a pleasant change in sound for the artist and satisfied devoted fans that waited four long years for new material. The album relies on beats and production, but glimpses of raw talent are present from an openly gay artist who has not really had the recognition that should be coming his way.
Excluding the intro and outro, the short, nine-track album begins with the robotic first single, “Make My Body Rock”. The track does not hide the fact that it deals with sexual pleasure, but it does not do so it a vulgar manner. The song was my first taste of the artist, and even though it did not impress me that much, I must say that it did grow on me. It just does not show off the artist’s vocals; simply average. On “Play That F**kn Record”, Gold steps it up a bit from the preceding track. The song is set to a fast paced beat, which is quite enjoyable. Even though the lyrics are featured on almost every other dance song this year, the artist is able to make them sound a little fresh. The greatest aspect of the track is the amount of attitude that is present. The vocals are a little less altered; I was able to hear the real artist. The best moment on the album is the touching “My Favorite Religion”. Here Gold’s voice is able to shine when the production is toned down to a bare minimum. The track’s chorus is very quick and clever; I cannot seem to get it out of my head. It is tricky to work in religious aspects into a pop song, but it is nicely done here. A music video is being made for this masterpiece, I cannot wait to see. I am torn between the soulful sounding “Over the Internet”. Once again, I find myself enjoying the vocals, but the lyrical content is nothing spectacular. The artist is describing a love found over the web with material that comes off very amateur, which should not be happening for an artist with ten years of experience. The longest track on the album should not have tried to do so much. An ode to a night out is the inspiration behind “Out Dancing”. Gold talks about setting your spirit free by stepping onto a dance floor, which is not that bad of advice. The writing is much better on this pleasant track; it is a step up for the artist. The production on the track sets it apart from the preceding songs in a positive way; it actually helps it to succeed.
The second half of the album gets going with “Stay In This”, another face-paced, high pitched track that differs greatly from the artist’s early work. The song is very fun and catchy, but I must be honest and say that I have no idea what it is actually about. I want to say that is deals with living in the moment; forgetting the past and the future, but I could be wrong. Another bright moment comes in the form of “Sparkle”, a song dealing with acceptance and shining in your own light. The track opens up beautifully, telling everyone they have an inner diva, the song drastically changes soon after. The message of strength is nice and empowering, Gold’s vocals complement those of the featured guest and the inclusion of musical heavyweights like Madonna, Gaga and Aretha makes it that much better. The sassy and sarcastic “If I Steal Your Boyfriend” is almost comical, but it a good way. From the funny intro to the scandalous lyrics, things seem to fit into place and a decent track makes its way out. The song will be very popular among the gay community, but I am afraid to say that it will not attract a larger or diverse audience. Even though the track is a fun one, it really is not a must hear. The album closes with “New York Attitude”, a hometown anthem where the artist confesses his love for the city of lights. The artist describes the city as a poison apple, but it is where dreams come true as long as you have the right attitude. The song balances both sides of the artist that were featured on all the other tracks, but again some lines should have been excluded from the finished product.
Between the Spirit & the Flesh was a nice change for the artist, but I feel that all of the great ideas did not transfer well into the recording studio. At times, the performances are very stale, there is no life to them, and many of the lyrics do not do a good job at proving credibility. There are very bright moments featured on the effort and I feel that the artist should have tried to surpass the greatness present on those. Themes of religion, acceptance and sexuality should always resonate with an audience, but this album may be a hard sell. The vocals should be commended, the production should be praised at times, but the album needed a bit more time to develop and receives a decent 74%.
Tracks to Hear: "Play That F**kn Record", "My Favorite Religion" and "Sparkle"
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