Dela - Translation Lost

This is the first Dela release I've heard, and I think it is pretty good. Really smooth beats. The cover represents the sound of the album somewhat, as the beats are a mix of old soul/r&b samples and some modern electronic sounds. A few tracks feature rappers - Dela seems to like Blu a lot (he makes up about half of the guest features), but other guests like Reach and Kemizt do a nice job as well. The instrumentals have a chill vibe but they aren't dull. Also, there seems to be a theme of maintaining a romantic relationship. The intro and outro, as well as parts of some of the tracks, feature what sound like answering machine messages from some chick that sounds like she is having some problems with the person she's calling, but it also sounds like she loves the person. The album is much more than just some beat compilation with a couple of features, it sounds like a concept album almost. It's pretty short and if you are looking for a lot of variety in the beats, you may feel a bit disappointed. Each beat sounds different but there isn't a ton of experimentation or a lot of different styles. I dig it though. 4 stars.

I thought this cover looked familiar. I have one track off this somebody filed me up on, WhatUWanna...pretty good.