Lounge and Downtempo acts should be difficult to review. They’re clearly meant to be enjoyed during certain circumstances, like New Age and Barry White. When It Falls revels in this conundrum. As an album meant for specific scenarios - meditation, background music - it does its job perfectly, but when judged in general worthiness, it often flatlines.

Though it can be quite transcendent when it doesn’t. “Look Up,” easily the most impressive song in the collection, comes eight tracks too late and is never replicated in any way, shape, or form. Which is too bad, because two or three tracks like it could have carried the entire weight of the album. Instead the track is surrounded by softly song pop that’s heartbreakingly derivative.

But it’s pointless to talk about When It Falls when I’ve already stated that it’s intended for specific scenarios, most of them categorized under sexual encounters. Let it spin if you have a dinner date at your place and you’re hoping to get lucky.



5.7