So far, 2016 has been the year of Anderson .Paak. The Oxnard, Calif. native’s meteoric rise began with his release of “Malibu” in January, and has continued through a slew of high-profile guest appearances and the release of “Yes Lawd!,” the debut album from .Paak and producer Knxwledge, who together make up NxWorries. On first listen, it’s clear that .Paak’s momentum is moving forward even as the year begins to wane — “Yes Lawd!” is a colorful, inventive debut highlighting both .Paak’s vocals and Knxwledge’s production skills.
The 49 minutes and 19 tracks that comprise “Yes Lawd!” play out much like a movie, complete with quick cuts and brief interludes. The album is laced with vocal clips and skits that bookend the tracks and provide a brief change of pace before the next song. These are much needed, because the majority of tracks clock in under three minutes.
There’s just enough time on the majority of the tracks to develop a musical idea and see it through to completion before a quick cut to the next. This stylistic choice is one of the best parts of “Yes Lawd!” — it keeps the album fresh and limits the amount of time the lesser tracks take up. It’s an idea that only works if there’s a cohesion to the album, and luckily, “Yes Lawd!” retains a distinctive sound over its entirety.
The sound of “Yes Lawd!” directly complements the sound of Anderson .Paak and his raspy, smooth croon. .Paak’s vocal talents are highlighted at almost every turn of the album, and his dynamic abilities make each track compelling. Take “What More Can I Say” — one of the album’s prettiest efforts — which finds .Paak belting “I wish it wasn’t hard for me” as he grapples with his own struggles in maintaining a positive relationship. These moments where .Paak is able to showcase the strength of his vocal abilities are some of the best on the album, but tracks like “Suede” and “Link Up” are also effective displays of .Paak’s capability as a rapper.
“Yes Lawd!” is permeated with a smoothness harkening back to the funk and R&B acts of the 60s and 70s, and Knxwledge’s choice of instrumentation largely lends to this feeling. A recurring theme throughout “Yes Lawd!” is his use of walking bass lines. These grooves give many of the album’s tracks — specifically ones like “Link Up” and “Get Bigger / Do U Luv” — a punchy, rhythmic contrast to .Paak’s sugary vocals.
Knxwledge also often leans on an unconventional use of guitar. In “Sidepiece,” for example, the guitar chords shimmer in the background as .Paak harmonizes with himself — the track feels like it could’ve emerged straight out of the doo-wop styles of the 1960s. Developing a characteristic sound is no easy feat, but Knxwledge is able to completely establish his particular brand of classic funk and R&B-inspired production over the span of “Yes Lawd!”
The 19 tracks of “Yes Lawd!” give a full spectrum of what the combined talents of .Paak and Knxwledge are capable of, and the end result is a collection of sleek, groove-based tracks with incredible production and equally impressive vocals. All in all, “Yes Lawd!” is an extremely solid debut from NxWorries, and it makes up for an relative lack of lyrical substance with an overwhelming amount of style.
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