Gemini Rights
| Steve Lacy
Gemini Rights
Gemini Rights is the second studio album by American musician Steve Lacy, released on July 15, 2022, through L-M and RCA Records. It follows Lacy's debut album Apollo XXI (2019), and was preceded by the singles "Mercury", "Bad Habit" and "Sunshine" featuring Fousheé. The album also includes a guest appearance from Lacy's The Internet bandmate, keyboardist Matt Martians. -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Pitchfork
On his second full-length album, the guitarist and producer’s songs are engorged and confident, powered by deft performances and focused storytelling.
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Rolling Stone
Steve Lacy’s ‘Gemini Rights’ Is Brilliantly Mercurial.
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NME
Lacy's songs remain seriously steamy, and now his musical palette is more refined and vibrant than ever.
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The Guardian
This singular talent goes to the next level with his deliciously languid second solo alum.
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Loud and Quiet
As a full record, it’s not without flaws: occasionally, the lozenge-smooth nature of the production allows some tracks to drift into coffee-table politeness, and on those stretches of the album that are given more over to easygoing groove or pseudo-improv, you do start to miss the understated hooks which give songs like ‘Bad Habit’ or the Fousheé-featuring ‘Sunshine’ their melodic focus. But such shortcomings are easily forgiven; the self-assurance of Steve Lacy is far from unearned.
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The Musical Hype
Steve Lacy delivers one of the very best albums of 2022 with his relatively short but potent sophomore album, Gemini Rights.
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The Diamondback
Lacy has come into his own, presenting his developed production chops and original style on the silver platter that is Gemini Rights to be enjoyed for the remainder of this wet, hot summer and beyond.
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Clash Magazine
‘Gemini Rights’ expands Lacy’s emotional terrain into panoramic view, a voyeuristic collection of love(sick) songs that rarely compromises on impact or cohesion. The execution doesn’t always match the scale of its creator’s ambition but ‘Gemini Rights’ is a time capsule of Lacy’s metier right now, and you get the sense he’s one or two masterstrokes away from a classic that will be distinctly his own.
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Exclaim
It's hard to find fault with Gemini Rights, though Lacy's genre-defying, sometimes quirky kaleidoscope of sounds certainly isn't for everyone. There is plenty here that will please existing fans — and might even inspire a "hey, big head" text from his ex.
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Northern Transmissions
There’s a retro aesthetic within Gemini Rights and that makes for a pretty cool listening experience. I get this vibe through the instrumentation of the music which makes sense due to Lacy being a guitarist. It seems like he has a legit band behind him during the recordings rather than him rapping, singing and vocalizing over pre-recorded tracks. It’s a modern spin on R&B’s ‘70s golden age and it deserves to be appreciated. This is exactly why you should give it a listen.
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Financial Times
Lacy is more comfortable evoking emotional breeziness than heaviness. But it epitomises his refusal to take the easy musical route.
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Medium
Overall Gemini Rights is everything you could want from a Steve Lacy album. The production here feels more melodic and catchier this time around. The vocal performances are stellar, and the album’s themes and lyricism might be some of Lacy’s best-written material. I’m feeling a high 8–9/10 on Gemini Rights. Perhaps it’s because this album dropped at a time where it resonates with me on an emotional level, but I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t an enjoyable experience. I feel like this album will open up even more possibilities for Lacy to expand his artistry, from his production, lyrics and so much more.
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The Music
The album portrays Lacy as a beacon of contemporary identity exploration, showcasing his evolution as an artist that, while reminiscent of some of the greatest artists to date, is truly singular. It is savage, tender, sexy, gender fluid and full of longing, a truly innovative creative product.
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Hotpress
Moving forward is never a linear process, and Lacy informs us that the love for another never really goes away. The other tracks on the album feature fits of hatred combined with moments of weakness, perfectly tying the harsh contrasts together while keeping a dysfunctional tone that captures his conflicting emotions.
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City Live
The record sounds flawless throughout its entire runtime. And that’s the major plus. Lacy has embedded an album that will entice fans to return to his next piece of work. With the album's positive rhythms and sunny instrumentals, a listen throughout this heatwave is highly recommended.
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Impct Journal
Gemini Rights is everything listeners have been wanting from a Steve Lacy project. It has a decent runtime that never drags and has a more polished delivery that makes the luscious and brass sound of Lacy's music feel even more mesmerizing and vibrant to listen to. This is a very personal, self-reflective journey that captures everything important about Lacy’s persona. While it might be underwhelming with the immense creative potential Lacy still showcases that’s untapped, it’s still an album that does what it wants to and accomplishes it in a multifaceted manner.
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Song Bar
Effortlessly cool, sometimes oddball and infectiously laid-back funk, soul and 70s-style pop in this second LP by the guitarist, singer and producer from Compton, California, with some distinct echoes of Stevie Wonder and Prince.
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Stereoboard
Lacy’s musicianship and arrangement skills might already be the things that separate him from so many songwriter-producers in an industry that seems increasingly developed around the algorithms of TikTok. ‘Gemini Rights’ doesn’t quite reinvent the wheel, but it’s clear that we are seeing the emergence of a real talent here.
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The Line of Best Fit
Steve Lacy further establishes his driven talent with Gemini Rights.
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Ben's Beat
Seeing Steve Lacy’s name at the top of the charts was certainly a surprise, but much like most of the smaller names who blow up overnight, most of the time it’s thankfully due to simple word of mouth promoting really great music. Gemini Rights is a tightly-packed 10 tracks of a talent reaching his prime during an opportune cultural moment, and most of them are highly addictive.
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