Group 1 Crew

Group 1 Crew is a young group of street smart singers who bring an interesting mix of hip-hop, soul, rock, and pop to their latest recording project. The crew consists of Blanca Reyes, who gives us the majority of the pop melodies, as well as Pablo Villatoro, and Manwell Reyes (no relation to Blanca) who together give us the majority of the rap. This is music that is aimed at urban youth, but is likely to draw a much wider audience as it is such a tasteful blend of so many musical elements. Not to mention the attraction of the positive, spiritual energy that saturates the fourteen new songs on Ordinary Dreamers.

This is straight out pop oriented music, but done in such a way that even those who are not normally attracted to such sounds may find themselves tolerating if not down right enjoying what they hear. The vocals, musicianship, and songwriting is very solid, and the production is surprisingly innovative, with just enough rocked out guitar, funky horns, and street rap that effectively keeps most of the songs from getting too sugary. Indeed, some of the cuts have some real guts, both musically and lyrically.

The first track, “Movin’,” starts out strong with some power pop/hip-hop, that inspires us to step out and be proactive in our walk of faith. Track two, “Our Time,” takes on a more soul/hip-hop feel, with a fine melodic chorus that brings out the strength of Blanca’s vocals. This song stresses the importance of making room in our lives for time alone with God. Track three, “Tonight,” one of the best songs on the album, presents a funk-laden Earth, Wind, & Fire like groove, featuring some punchy, tight, syncopated horns. This song appears to be a bit of an autobiographic explanation of the groups individual reasons for loving and making music.

Track four, “Keys To The Kingdom” then moves us into a soft, soulful feel that deals with the hardship of life. Inspiring the listener to seek comfort, and healing in the the arms of divine love. Track five, “Closer” transports us into rock territory, while maintaining the consistent rap combined with the ever present melodic chorus. These two elements are apparently the formula for the song writing throughout this album. Track six, “Bring The Party To Life,” is the first obvious attempt to present a song for mainstream CCM radio. Though the rapping is still present, the focus of this song is definitely on the pop-rock side of things.

Perhaps the weakest song on the album is track seven, “Bring The Party To Life.” Though it sports some great rhythmic grooves, there is just too much predictability and repetition, ending up relying heavily on electronically altered vocals to make things more interesting. Though track eight starts out with some rather effective electronic vocal effects, it ultimately falls into the same trap of predictability. On the other hand, the next song, “I See You,” takes a surprising departure into a jazzy/swing feel of sorts that is refreshing and entertaining, if not musically innovative.

As for the reaming songs, those that stand out the most include: “I Had A Dream,” which has a bit of a reggae rhythm, and deals with submitting to our God given dreams in life. And, “Live Out Loud”, which is a catchy tune with an infectious dance beat.

All in all Ordinary Dreamers gives us some good quality music, and if pop oriented hip-hop is your thing you will likely appreciate what these talented artist have to offer.

Tagged as: Group 1 Crew, Ordinary Dreamers

Does it Resonate with you?

Name (required)

Email (will not be published) (required)

URL