Morning Thought – Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. Morning Thought – Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. (Free Download / Buy)

Detroit-based Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. (@dalejrjrmusic) recently released their debut album It’s a Corporate World to a flurry of buzz in the blogosphere. With insta-crush production, this major label debut will certainly continue to get attention in the coming months.

The album opens up with “Morning Thought”, a shiny piece of crunk-pop that introduces the vocal harmonies of Josh Epstein and Daniel Zott. These breezy, sunny vocal arrangements make you wonder if Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. is actually from the coast, not Detroit. “Skeletons”, the notable third track, features kitchen-sink percussion and Epstein crooning within the song’s ethereal headspace.  This track, along with many on the album, is carried by its dreamy production and more relaxed tone. “Skeletons” soon gives way to “An Ugly Person On A Movie Screen”, though, an electronic-swathed return to the crunk-pop of the album’s opener.

The duo moves in a more folk direction with “Simple Girl”, incorporating a few amazing 60s Brit guitar licks and producing one of the finest tracks on the album. Dipping into afro-beat, “Vocal Chords” is another song that made it to the full-length from the group’s first EP release, Horse Power. Giving the Detroit-duo an opportunity to show their versatility, “Vocal Chords” is a great departure from the feel of the majority of album and injects something for the hips instead of the head.

Next, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. tackles “We Almost Lost Detroit” by the late Gil-Scot Heron. Though valiantly putting their own flavor in it,  the two ultimately fall short with this cover in comparison to the original. The album closes with “The Fisherman”, another nod in the folk direction.  With falsetto backing vocals and dreamscape production, this final track tries to incorporate all of the album’s elements into one song, and does a pretty great job.

Overall, “It’s a Corproate World” will be instantly pleasing with its shiny, sleek production. While Epstein and Zott clearly know how to craft a catchy pop-song, the album seems to lean on its production team for support instead of relying on momentum through songwriting. While the ride is fun and bobs along seamlessly, most of the appeal is on the surface, and I don’t see myself coming back to this LP for repeated listens once fall hits. Nevertheless, I want my kicks now, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. will be the ones to give them to me.