October London – “Love Me for Me” review

South Bend, Indiana singer/songwriter October London returning for his 4th studio LP. Coming up in 2013 off his debut EP The Introduction & both installments of the Color Blind series, he eventually caught the attention of WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg & signed to Doggystyle Records for his 4th EP Please Leave a Message before moving over to Death Row Records not too long after Snoop bought the label he started out at & teamed with gamma. for a new distribution deal. October Nights has since become his most celebrated material & he’s asking his partner to Love Me for Me coming off the holiday-themed For You, My Love nearly 8 months ago.

“Your Girl” passionately sings about temptation knocking at his door over a buttery beat from both Uncle Snoop & Soopafly whereas “My Favorite Song” works in some finger snaps showing off his crooning chops. “Silent Treatment” works in a funky groove & some pianos to sing about a woman who ain’t saying shit to him but once the title track wants his girl to love him for who he is, “Family Ties” reaches the halfway point explaining he makes music for this loved ones.

Meanwhile on “Hooked (A Cougar’s Anthem)”, we have October coming through with a mediocre ode to cougars just before “Dance & Mingle” takes a peppier approach instrumentally making something the audience can move to. “Body Talk” & after “Like a Canvas” incorporates some pianos to compare the love his partner has to woven fabric surface stretched over a wooden frame, the closer “Pencil Me In” concludes Love Me for Me singing about trying to get with a woman with children upstarting her business.

There weren’t any real concerns I had going into Love Me for Me since For You, My Love was created specifically for the most wonderful time of the year & October Nights remains October London’s most celebrated collection of material although I ended up enjoying this album as much as it’s predecessor nearly a couple years earlier. Snoop Dogg & Soopafly’s production is heavily rooted in the contemporary R&B sound exploring topics including love, commitment, vulnerability & self-discovery in only a half hour.

Score: 4/5

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