What can I say about Theo Martins? He’s an upcoming musician from Providence, Rhode Island. I have yet to meet him but I do have frequent twitter conversations with the man. He has released several incredible projects; most notably “You Can’t Do That On Television” which was an absolute masterpiece and all the tracks get play in my iTunes daily. Theo is a rapper in the sense of the way he speaks on a track but you can’t put Mr. Martins into a specific genre. Sincerely Yours, The Dance Floor is a prime example of a genre bending project. This album seamlessly meshes hip hop/rap elements with the dance/pop genre. The result is a refreshing and extremely out of the box collection of art. Let’s get into this review!
Track 1. Turn It Up feat. Plan B
Turn It Up starts out like a movie and I can see that camera shot of someone walking towards the camera with smoke all around them. The track progresses with Plan B singing and then turns into this intense techno sounding beat. I wish I knew the producer and I will eventually but I don’t know at the moment. Theo starts the album off by saying “Welcome to the Terrordome, where your friends and loved ones never ever roam.” Theo is very sharp lyrically on this joint. The punchlines are just crazy on this track and it fits the aggressiveness of the production. Turn It Up is the perfect Intro for an album like this and also it’s one of my favorites on the album.
9/10
Track 2. One More Time
One More Time is a Kris Fame production and it utilizes the “One More Time” Daft Punk sample. This beat is incredible and Theo isn’t bad either. Theo sings a little on this and while the singing isn’t bad it also isn’t Theo’s strongest point. This track is definitely club ready and as you listen you can clearly pick out the different elements that lie within the composition of this song. This is definitely a refreshing song.
6/10
Track 3. Take You There
Take You There is another Kris Fame production. I’ve listened to this song since it came out in early 2010 and it’s one of my all-time favorite Theo Martins songs. This beat is gold and Theo is saying he can take you anywhere you want. I suggest everyone should listen to this song because it is an incredible song and I can’t really describe it. Nonetheless,
10/10
Track 4. Just Can’t Get Enough feat. Depeche Mode
I’ve never heard of Depeche Mode until I heard this song. This song screams get out on the dance floor and it’s guaranteed to make you dance until you sweat. Theo lays down some braggadocious lyrics and it works for this track. He has some great verses which give way to the Depeche Mode chorus which assures you that you will be dancing to this track.
7/10
Track 5. Power
Power is produced by Party Supplies and is a perfect dance remix to the Kanye West “Power” also with the Snap “I’ve got the Power” sample included. Theo has just one verse on this but it’s quite alright because the beat is so crazy. I really wish Theo would’ve thrown my verse on this track but I won’t hold it against him because this track is so great. Oh and I listen to this track at least once a day.
9/10
Track 6. Slow It Down
Slow It Down does exactly what the title states. It is a slower paced song but it fits the project perfectly. The song is about another person, perhaps a love interest and how he may be being misled by a woman. Slow it Down is a nice pace changer and Theo provides us with a great story to listen to. I like this song and I think a lot of people can relate to what he’s saying on here.
7/10
Track 7. Cult Logic feat. Miike Snow
Cult Logic picks up from where Slow It Down left off. A nice production and this track starts with Theo speaking about a dilemma and how he’s been let down to say the least. Listening to this track and Slow it Down back to back it’s like a relationship that started up and then ended in 5 minutes. I like the chorus from Miike Snow which also fits the song perfectly. Theo’s trust for this woman has clearly been taken from him and he’s just getting his thoughts out wondering if he should give up or not. Once again another solid track.
7/10
Track 8. White Friends feat. Gordon Voidwell
I don’t even need to listen to this song to like it. I’m White and I’m a twitter friend of the guy (I think.) Anyways Gordon Voidwell has a great chorus to start out the song and Theo provides a short but sweet first verse. This song has a nice pace to it and kind of reminds me of a classic dance track which is exactly what the intention was. I really like this song and I’m loving this project right now.
7/10
Track 9. Final Fantasy feat. Starf*cker
Now I’ve heard this track before and even though I wanted to wait until the whole project came out I couldn’t wait. Complete with a Starf*cker chorus this track is another late night rave type track. I really dig what Theo is saying on this track too. Every time I hear this song I can picture the incredible music video that was made for this. Final Fantasy is another one of my favorite tracks on SYTDF.
8/10
Track 10. Up & Away
The last song on the album and it’s produced by the talented Vodka & Milk. By listening to the beat I have that “This is the last track on the album feel” and it’s very bittersweet. I love the feel of the track and it definitely has that outro feeling but I don’t want the project to end yet. One thing that I’ve learned about Theo is that the last track on his past projects are usually the deepest tracks. This may not be the deepest track on the album but it is definitely one of them. I can see this song being the last song played at a club to kind of wind everyone down from the crazy amount of dancing they just did. Once again another great track
8/10
Sincerely Yours, The Dance Floor is a cohesive, genre shattering album. While Theo is essentially a rapper he does sing on the tracks and he captures the dance element perfectly on this album. SYTDF is the example of how a risk should be executed. Theo clearly thought way outside of the box on this project and while you hip hop heads might not go crazy over the punchlines or beats you will appreciate the calculated risks that Theo takes on this. The best part about SYTDF is that Theo remains true to who he is. The only thing that I have to say is a negative which is true with most Theo Martins projects is that the album is too short. There are only 10 songs on SYTDF and while that isn’t a bad thing it’s just we are left savoring the tracks we’ve heard and salivating for more material. Nonetheless, tip your cap Mr. Martins you have an amazing album that you can be proud of.
8/10
P.S. even though I am partially biased to automatically liking his music, don’t let that fool you because this is a great album.
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