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Jan 30, 2015All in all, Black Star Elephant seems accomplishes its goals--delivering an album that thrives off its ‘good vibes’. There is no denying that Nico & Vinz better their listeners by eschewing negativity, not to mention avoiding profanity for the most part. That said, sometimes so much positivity grows ever too schmaltzy and a bit blasé.
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Dec 3, 2014Nico & Vinz are lite bubblegum worldbeat pop, and will try on any fashion just as long as it might bring them a hit.
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Dec 3, 2014The unwavering positivism of this cultural mash-up is compelling; if only they’d resisted the urge to include “motivational” interludes spoken in the style of a tribal elder, which nudges the album into the cheese zone.
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Dec 3, 2014The album’s social commitments are stronger than its aesthetic commitments, but it doesn’t suffer for that.
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Dec 3, 2014Lyrics like "You don’t have to be big and tall/To stand up and hold your own" (from "Miracles") play like inspirational memes. Still, their hearts are in such the right place that it's hard to totally root against them.