Young Gifted & Black

When considering today’s canon of young, under 25 male tenors, I’ve gotta admit there aren’t too many that have earned my respect. Motown’s Brandon Hines is one who has (his bio says he’s a baritone, but I’ve yet to hear that register). The music and themes of the Howard U alum’s free EP “In Search Of” are young, but musical, melodic, and consistently listenable. There is an ease to the breezy voiced Hines on his second project that keeps listeners tuned in from the first track to the last. Simple songs about simple things simply sung, but in its effortlessness in voice and production Hines’  project packs a major wallop.

A Light Album With The Deceptively Dark Cover

The youngblood with the engaging formula  is one of those YouTube phenoms you read about, covering the contemporary greats until one day he finally is one. With some 4 million MySpace song plays and 54,000 fans, Hines has already parlayed his indie fame to opening gigs for Estelle and being a featured player on Eric Roberson’s “Howard Girls” from the Grammy-nominated  “Music Fan First.” With catchy cuts like the Ne-yo flava’d “Bad Girl” and the Bubble Yum sweet “Let’s Ride,” Hines brings a thousand hours of YouTube video polish and experience to the prolific pop of “In Search Of.” Like Chris Brown, before his name became an adjective, Hines is a undeniable talent that one cannot wait to hear mature and tackle more than the typical love song (something that Jaheim is finally doing today). But, unlike many of Hines’ star-kissed peers, I actually believe Hines has it in him to be that artist. We’ll be watching, young man.

TAGS: Brandon Hines, Eric Roberson, Estelle