Never Enough

by Daniel Caesar

Overview

There's something to be said for Daniel Caesar choosing to not play it safe on his third full-length, his first for Republic. Never Enough does contain a sizable portion of the alternately stimulating and soporific balladry with which the singer made his name. A few of the songs here in that vein are among his finest. He's yearning for release in the sighing "Let Me Go," creepily seductive in "Valentina," and not too proud to plead in the charmingly dazed "Do You Like Me" -- fortunately making "Will you have my kids? You better" sound like light-hearted flirtation instead of a threat. For every familiar move, there's an unexpected turn. "Shot My Baby Down" is a dustbowl hip-hop soul murder ballad. Minus an "F"-bomb, "Always" could be mistaken for an update of a strong album cut by a mid-'70s sorta-country singer/songwriter. Most peculiar is the sluggish "Vince Van Gogh," on which Caesar's voice is variably modulated to sound either extra faded or monstrous. He muses "Used to be ugly, now I'm a handsome Charlie Manson wrapped in a Snuggie" after confessing "My words come out clumsy" and being informed that "the psilocybin is hitting." Odder still is that Never Enough is both a dispirited post-fame album and a major-label debut. Caesar sounds categorically docile observing "Now I'm a product that must turn a profit" but at least spins it with a memorable aphorism ("Pain is inevitable, misery's a choice"). He often gets wistful, bemoaning the passing of time and longing to rewind nine years, back when "The future was alluring," or even earlier, catching a glimpse of himself as a kid enjoying his own company. Hopefully he doesn't become so disenchanted that he stops making open, messy, and fascinating albums such as this one. ~ Andy Kellman

Product Details

Release Date:	04/07/2023
Label:	Republic
UPC:	0602455105066

Tracks

1. Ocho Rios
2. Valentina
3. Toronto 2014
4. Let Me Go
5. Do You Like Me
6. Always
7. Cool
8. Disillusioned
9. Buyer's Remorse
10. Shot My Baby
11. Pain Is Inevitable
12. Homiesexual
13. Vince Van Gogh
14. Superpowers
15. Unstoppable

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Daniel Caesar   Primary Artist,Bass,Guitar,Vocals,Synthesizer Bass,Vocals (Background)
Rick Ross   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Ty Dolla $ign   Primary Artist
serpentwithfeet   Primary Artist
Summer Walker   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
BadBadNotGood   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Mustafa   Primary Artist
Omar Apollo   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Leland Whitty   Guitar,Synthesizer Bass
Ashton Simmonds   Bass,Drums,Guitar,Synthesizer Bass
Justin Lucas   Guitar
Daniel Migdal   Strings
Josiah Wise   Vocals (Background)
Matthew Burnett   Bass,Drums
Nolan Lambroza   Guitar,Synthesizer Bass
Chronixx   Vocals
Chester Hansen   Bass
Sabrina Claudio   Vocals (Background)
Simon Hessmann   Guitar
Alexander Sowinski   Drums
Sir Nolan   Guitar,Synthesizer Bass
DannyBoyStyles   Guitar
Justine Skye   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Leland Whitty   Composer,Producer,Programming
Tobias Jesso, Jr.   Composer
Sevn Thomas   Composer,Producer,Drum Programming
Sean Leon   Composer
Ashton Simmonds   Composer,Producer,Synthesizer Programming
Mark Ronson   Producer,Programming
Raphael Saadiq   Composer,Producer
Tom Elmhirst   Mixing,Engineer
Tyrone Griffin   Composer
Jake Ferguson   Engineer
Christopher Jennings   Producer
Ace G.   Producer
Jens Jungkurth   Engineer
Rami Yacoub   Composer,Producer,Programming
Emile Haynie   Drum Programming
Mustafa Ahmed   Composer
William Roberts   Composer
Migui Maloles   Engineer
Josiah Wise   Composer
Matthew Burnett   Composer,Producer,Programming,Synthesizer Programming
Jordan Evans   Composer,Producer,Programming
Jimmy Napes   Composer
Alex Ernewein   Producer,Programming
Felix Remy   Engineer
Omar Apollo   Composer
Sacha Rudy   Composer,Producer
Simon Hessmann   Producer
Axel Benamar   Producer,Programming
Zachary Simmonds   Composer,Producer,Programming
Nolan Lambroza   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Programming,Synthesizer Programming
Chester Hansen   Composer,Producer,Programming
BadBadNotGood   Producer,Programming
Alexander Sowinski   Composer,Producer,Programming
Sir Nolan   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Programming,Synthesizer Programming
Joel Compass   Composer,Programming
Jamar McNaughton   Composer
Daniel Caesar   Composer
Riley Bell   Mixing,Engineer,Recording,Mastering Engineer
Dylan Wiggins   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Programming,Synthesizer Programming