The Weekly Coos

When I first heard “Million Dollar Baby” by Tommy Richman, the intrigue was there, specifically in the production, this electro-R&B groove that captivates you more than the lyrics can. Fortunately, you’ll be hooked by the vocals and funk. Unfortunately, his debut album Coyote doesn’t move the needle from the single. It’s an outwardly intriguing sound that blends soul and funk and synths with synchronicity. It’s a vibes album; one where you can kick back and let it play without as much of a jarring moment to have you hit skip. The music homogenizes itself with each other on the album in a steady flow, feeling slightly one-dimensional but safe. Lyrically, it is mildly tepid with some depth; however, the highs may find life in playlists, but the lows are disappointments, lessening the enthusiasm I can have with the recommendation. It’s like Richman left his door ajar for a major drop and played it safe; in doing so, parts shine with less of a whole. I recommend the album as it is a talent to watch, and what he shows here offers a lot of promise, especially as he cruises through his faults.

Coyote wants to be deep, but also have fun, and when the concoction is right, the momentum of positive tinges glow. Much emanates from Richman’s performances, which try to change the mold from the apropos and deliver something more alternative. Unfortunately, the production isn’t the high point, and that’s the disappointment since the music comes as a loose flow of consciousness without feeling the need to expand. That isn’t to say I disliked every beat; there is some stuff to admire, like the varying funky notes, but specifically the instrumental layers. He has these unique ideas he wants to implement, yet, he won’t take the bull by the horns and you’re left with beats, which in a vacuum are lows. The synths are playing it too safe and the atmospheric textures lack variety. Though for me to say I’m not bumping “Whitney,” or “Whisper In My Ear” on repeat would be false, especially when there are tracks like “Temptations” that are just too monochromatic for any sense of depth to be felt. I like that Tommy Richman is blending funk with his producers, like how “Green Therapy” comes out as a smooth funky ballad, growing with each note.

The production of live instrumentations creates crusts on the base percussion, so when you hear the funky bass lines and or flute notes there is something to dissect more than just riding the synths. It’s heard on “Vanity,” which is probably my favorite beat on the album. It’s a rare occasion where the bull is taken by the horns and led down a path filled with a treasure trove of sounds ranging from the enigmatic bass grooves to the vibrant percussion that I started to feel like I was listening to something from the 80s. These highs are hypnotizing and will attract newcomers who want something new brought to the table, but it comes at a price of slight redundancies. Fortunately, Tommy Richman makes up for much of the low points with individual highlights emanating from his performances since he plays with different melodies and flows that shift between the soul, funky R&B, and slower tempos for slower tracks, creating a musical stream of consciousness. It has a ceiling, and it reaches it. It will be good for some but with limits—tracks like “Thought You Were The One” and “Give It Out” are momentous highs, where those limits reach the peak, especially with the delicate nature of the more broken-down beats. 

When all of this comes together, you get some fantastic fleeting moments of greatness, but it’s still an overall bummer. Some songs are simple, like “Elephant In The Room,” where it tries to match that spark from “Million Dollar Baby,” or “Letterman,” where it’s heavily reliant on the vocals, which can only take it so far. Similarly, this could be said of the featured artists who don’t take a moment to hog a spotlight and make themselves known, instead treading towards the back and not making themselves heard. Either they don’t bring anything new to the table lyrically or performance-wise, instead weakening some decent songs in “Tennessee” and “Seems like time moves forever,” the latter closes the album not on a triumphant note. Now, when I spoke about it being a vibes album earlier, it was more referential to that safe nature from varying parts, and in doing so these low moments are only low because they don’t match expectations and never about quality. It isn’t janky, but if you need something in the background with some groove and dimension, this may work in your favor, especially if you’re looking for something new.

Coyote is an album I wish was better than what we got. Though it has a safe throughline that allows it to flow focused and steady, there isn’t much to latch onto outside of the potential promise future projects could bring. Richman is an interesting writer; he finds ways to deliver some depth within the content, but the production choices don’t always help bring that to the forefront. Unfortunately, as I recommend this album because it’s someone new people might get some kick out of, it isn’t one you should push yourself to listen to swiftly. Disappointments come and go, but it’s a good thing there are those highs you may keep in rotation, like I know I will.