Singer, songwriter, and producer
Kenyon Dixon is in that class of artists that appeals to committed seekers of deep contemporary R&B -- those who know that commercial radio programming misrepresents what the genre has to offer. High points in the Watts native's varied, roughly decade-long career include three songs co-written for
TGT's Top Ten album
Three Kings and a Grammy nomination for a performance of
Sam Cooke's "Bring It on Home to Me" (with
BJ the Chicago Kid,
PJ Morton, and
Charlie Bereal).
Dixon has been issuing solo projects independently since the mid-2010s, and
Closer is his most fulfilling release thus far. The title refers to both physical and emotional connections, issues examined in almost every one of these finely crafted songs.
Dixon's writing is conversational in nature, evoking communication with eye contact. It's ideal for his voice -- one that is warm and engaging, attracting the listener with composed passion rather than demanding it with exhibitionism.
Dixon sets the tone in the swaying opener "Marvin Gaye" by asking for sexual healing but not until the moment is right. He wraps his voice around a gently bobbing bassline as he instructs, "There's a couple ways to touch/Intimacy is much more than the things that we see," subtly pausing after "much" to strong effect. Apart from a
D Smoke collaboration about coping with life in general -- it too is a coasting slow jam --
Closer is all about romance. It's not coincidental that the brightest moments are the duets. The curlicued "Love on Replay," gliding "WYTD," and steamy "Here," written and recorded respectively with
Tiffany Gouché,
Gwen Bunn, and
Susan Carol, are instantly memorable. That said, they're nearly outdone by "Closer" itself, appropriately enough the final song, a low-slung ballad with a deceptively complex vocal arrangement slyly showcasing
Dixon's upper range. ~ Andy Kellman