Sam
Omar Alhindi released his debut record Bedhead Level 1 back in October, and the result is a record of the California native showcasing his raw talent. The EP explores relationships, sensuality, and the beauty of falling in and out of love. On Bedhead Level 1, Alhindi navigates his material with ease making for a delightful album from start to finish.
The EP opens with ‘My Intentions’, and Alhindi shows a maturity that even his more experienced contemporaries often lack. It’s a fairly mainstream track with Alhindi crooning over losing the best love of his life, but the sensitivity and thoughtfulness behind the lyrics manages to shine. This is a song that’s sure to resonate with female listeners — not only is she the best he’s ever had, but she feels the same about him. It didn’t work out, but what they had was magical, and Alhindi beautifully captures his feelings.
The next track, ‘Dear June’, feels like the anti-thesis to Justin Bieber’s ‘Love Yourself’ in the best way possible. “My mom’s been asking where you been. You know she loved you…” Alhindi sings, processing the pain of losing June. The maturity to Alhindi’s lyrics remains constant as he wishes his former flame well: “Dear June, I hope he makes you happier than I could,” he croons sweetly. Bedhead Level 1 is a saccharine pop delight, and bubbly tracks like this serve Alhindi well.
With ‘Dance All Night‘, Alhindi keeps with the bubblegum sound to make a love song perfect for the final days of summer. Alhindi’s inspiration on Bedhead Level 1 includes both Justin Bieber and Sean Kingston, and ‘Dance All Night’ combines the best of his two idols – with smooth, effervescent lyrics like you’d expect from Bieber over a fun and light beat like the best of Kingston. It’s also a nice change of pace to have Alhindi take a break from traditional love songs and try something that’s more dance-worthy and fun (especially after the slight clunker ‘Don’t Take My Love Away’, which felt like a misstep with naive lyrics and a boring production.)
The gentle strumming and Peter Pan inspired lyrics let ‘Neverland’ truly take off. “Second star to the right and straight on ’til morning, I’mma hold you tight,” Alhindi sings to his love. This track manages to define Alhindi’s sound and prove that he’s got that certain something that makes a pop-star. The combination of clever lyrics, inspired production and general youthfulness are perfectly captured here, and it proves that Alhindi has more potential than just singing songs about being hopelessly devoted to an unrequited love.
The maturing sound of Alhindi continues with ‘Lust’, a track that is as steamy as it sounds. Alhindi holds nothing back, and the adult track manages to be delightfully explicit without needing to say one word that would be censored on radio. (The only thing that should really be censored is the girl in the background sexy-whispering ‘Daddy.’ Otherwise ‘Lust’ would be damn near perfect.) Bedhead Level 1 closes with ‘Stay Strong’, and it brings the EP to a beautiful end. It’s a wonderful song about the endurance of love and the power of two people in love.
As a whole, Bedhead Level 1 is a well-crafted love letter. Alhindi’s star truly shines with his maturity, and he uses the eight tracks on this EP to show who he is as an artist. One thing’s for sure, Alhindi has got ample time to grow into a superstar…these songs show he’s surely got the talent.
Visit Omar Alhindi’s official website. Purchase Bedhead Level 1 on iTunes.
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