Ringing out into the night with a metallic chime, the opening notes of “Runaway” draw the perfect setting for a dream-rap escapade. Like a sleepy child tinkering with a Fisher Price xylophone after curfew, the song’s initial notes break total silence with a bending effect that contributes to the groggy feel. Testing for the appropriate volume level, the child lets out a wail, waits to see if his cover is blown, and then hesitantly begins to fill darkness with sound. The melodic beat of the drum and bass offers neither fancy tricks nor impressive speed as it slowly becomes the backbone to the steady lyrics of this ethereal track. The child’s eyelids grow heavier with each smash upon primary-colored keys but no crescendo washes out his efforts or disrupts the relaxing mood.
Just 22 years young, it is quite easy to picture Pell as that child. His latest release, Floating While Dreaming, is easily described as experimental. Easily because Pell is a rapper and this is an atypical rap album. Going by his given name of Jared Pellerin at the time Hurricane Katrina evicted him from his childhood New Orleans home in 2005, the rapper who often speaks of making music from the heart now resides in Mississippi. Said displacement already gives the youngster major life experiences to draw upon for genuinely passionate music. At first listen his style is comparable to Kid Cudi, but songs like “Runaway” reveal a deeper vulnerability to the rapper — perhaps the result of New Orleans blues creeping out through production and delivery. Dwelling on his roots, Pell even cites jazz influences before ultimately agreeing that this LP is quite experimental, and that seems perfectly alright with him as long as you can perceive his passion. With content as heavy as the bed-time prayer-like “Runaway,” his passion will go unquestioned.