Day Eighteen cycles us back into R&B, and our next artist is another special one. The2nd placer is Amber Mark’s “Three Dimensions Deep.” Admittedly, Amber Mark is one I knew NOTHING about coming into 2022, so there was a lot of catching up to do. This project has strokes of genius all over it, though, and it shows Amber Mark’s diverse range of vocal styles and emotions. Leading us off is One, flipping a Bobby Bland sample along this awesome instrumental with a mix of hip-hop and reggaeton textures. She dedicates the song to her mother, stating above all else- she’s here to make the angels proud. Bubbles embraces those reggaeton influences even harder, letting her skip along the percussion in the verses so the chorus can come in and get you dancing. Turnin’ Pages is my top pick, though, for the strange, skulking sample paired with smooth bass and drumlines. It’s got the best concept, with an angelic refrain about turning the page on a relationship. Cosmic is a dreamy love song, where Ms. Mark recants her love over a canvas of soporific guitars and backup vocals. I also love the laid back, sensuous groove of What It Is, the powerful message and glowing organs on Most Men, the celebratory energy and self-actualization present in FOMO and Foreign Things, and the metaphorical event horizon of Event Horizon. You know what it is.
