A Completive Kick Rises on Flight Attendant with Julian’O Running the Show

Julian’O crafts a soulful sound with vulnerable storytelling on “Flight Attendant.” Insightful with an uncanny ability to cut to the heart of the matter, he makes every word count. Production-wise the sound draws from James Blake’s futuristic take on R&B, for the amount of care put into that car-shaking low-end adds to its righteousness. Rather than take a side on the East Coast/West Coast divide in hip-hop, he merges the two. This makes sense, given his location right in the middle of the country in Kansas City, Missouri. A bit of that southern hit to the sound certainly rounds things off, for it has a full-bodied quality.

Beats blast on the weird, woozy scope of “Taken Time.” Eerie whistling on “Lights” adds to the haunting organ swells, giving the song an animalistic fervor, with the drop of lean a nice nod to DJ Screw’s style. A series of suites get woven together as “A Seat” has a jagged, raw grit. “Bow” brings a confrontational aspect to the fray. Strangely romantic “Do You Take Drugs?” has a faded quality. Like a gospel song filtered through trap beats, “Old News” has a swinging rhythm that underpins it. Nimble guitar work on “Through the Night” helps to lend the song a degree of comfort and warmth.

“Flight Attendant” presents a serene series of character studies showing Julian’O’s love for life.