Similar to a great first date, Lucky Daye imposed a favorable impression on his debut album, Painted, in 2019. As an anticipated voice in R&B, he satiates fans with the new EP, Table For Two.
With Valentine’s Day creeping up, Daye has provided a soundtrack for the lovers and the cynics. Each song features a different female singer to melodically enhance this musical affair. Table For Two is created as an experience for listeners to lament or swoon over, depending on their mood.
In roughly 22 minutes, we take heed of the rollercoaster that is love, relationships, and all the bumps in between. At the top of the project, we’re advised to partake in a complimentary ego check before delving into the audio adventure. It’s as if Daye places us in a virtual dating episode, allowing us to decipher if it’ll pan out to be successful by the end.
The EP sinuously eases into the first track, “How Much Can A Heart Take,” featuring Yebba. Possessing an airy groove that reeks of soulful funk, this is a pairing we weren’t aware we needed. The bass is likened to this relationship’s demise as the two ensure to return the mistreatment they’ve seemingly been receiving from each other. While Yebba is spending up Daye’s money and Daye is wining and dining other women with no remorse, they sing of their heart’s capacity to endure the malpractice with pure divinity.
We’re familiar with Daye’s variation of his spoken word/rap blend initially from the I and II EPs. He recites why he’s ending the relationship, creatively utilizing double entendres related to the internet and social media platforms, including MySpace, Instagram, and Tinder. He sticks with the motif of weaving the project’s songs together via wordplay or distorted instrumentals, an aspect that fans will appreciate just the same.
As an iPhone user, keeping the read receipts on can be quite annoying, and Tiana Major9 feeds into her role of the vexing act for “On Read.” There are always two interpretations of a story. Daye is on the receiving end of the unanswered text thread, wondering why the two fell off. Major9 makes it clear that she refuses to tolerate any games being played.
In a showdown of who will respond first, they come together on the last hook, “Yeah, I left you on read / I’ve been waiting all day / But you was all in your head / You deserve what I say / Oh, you wasting my time / You can’t have none of mine / Yeah I made up my mind / I’ll have you waiting / I’ll keep you waiting all night.” Indicative of the current dating climate, they choose to walk away from the situation without a final word.
Different viewpoints are expressed in “My Window” featuring Mahalia. The singers reconnect since her 2019 debut, Love and Compromise, for this heartsick number. “My Window” is a sonic personification of a doleful rainy day, for the piano, drums, and bass can easily take the imaginative place of clouds, rain, and gray skies.
Love isn’t enough to hold things together with Mahalia, ready to call it quits, and Daye coming to terms with things not working out. A sample of “I Can’t Stand The Rain” by Ann Peebles drives the message of looming separation. They can’t stand the rain on their window or their relationship, and there’s a high chance they won’t be able to weather this commitment.
Moving from one table to another, R&B darling Ari Lennox links with Daye for their sultry and mysterious track, “Access Denied.” Each singer takes the lead, individually singing every few lines, then coming together now and then at the most opportune time.
Lifting a few production cues from Curtis Mayfield’s “Give Me Your Love (Love Song),” the give and take of their vocal tango is one of the song’s commanding qualities. They’re aware of the cat-and-mouse match-up, playing into the intoxication of the chase. For a duet that may have been overdue, Lennox and Daye’s energies align in a befitting manner.
Featured on Queen Naija’s 2020 debut album, Missunderstood, “Dream” falls right into the EP’s theme. Naija and Daye warmly vocalize the precise feelings experienced in the blooming stages of new love. The reverie interwoven in “Dream” can only come from each artist’s personal experience, channeling previous circumstances.
We’ve all been there, floating on clouds from a potential connection that’s surging with considerable promise. Backed by a rhythmic berceuse style, the track is an excellent example of what a possible and authentic romance feels like.
Lucky Daye’s Table For Two concludes with “Falling In Love,” with up-and-coming R&B gem Joyce Wrice. The last track rounds things out on a high note, with the two open to giving love a chance.
On both versions of the pre-hook, Daye and Wrice proclaim, “I don’t want to stay somewhere that I’m not wanted / You can’t say I didn’t warn you / Now can you give me loving that I need?” Throughout the final number, they adequately fit into the auditory pockets to put their feelings out there.
Daye isn’t new to the art of a captivating duet. Over the last three years, he’s collaborated with Victoria Monét, KIRBY, and Kehlani to create unique unions that only enrich his charming talent. There’s no need to second-guess if you’ll pull a seat up to the figurative table; attending this special rendezvous with Daye is an encounter worthy of your time.
Stream Table For Two by Lucky Daye below.
