Just when we were starting to feel the itch, Rationale brings us his “Re.Up,” the velvety followup to his equally smooth debut single, “Fast Lane,” on Best Laid Plans Records.
This time around, the UK-based Rationale has kicked up the tempo slightly with a sexy, seductive number that reminds me a bit of Lionel Richie’s 1980s pop-R&B fare: It’s expansive in emotion and slides along a cascade of genres without landing on any specific one, all the while staying tight and engaging in the arrangement.
The woman singing the hooks with Rationale adds some powdered sugar to his very distinct, buttery vocals. Their interplay occurs over musical elements with bright melodies, a pleasant guitar and synthesizer pad backdrop, and an engaging, syncopated rhythm that you will likely listen to about a dozen times after your first go.
Rationale’s first single hit about 450,000 plays in the 30 days since its April 15 debut. I can see “Re.Up” meeting and exceeding that without much effort. The only uncertainty right now is when an EP or album will be released.
