Review: P.Centric’s Afro Fusion EP, The Year Everything Aligned, Is A Cohesive Mood Lifter

 
By Emmanuel Daraloye
 
Across the Christian gospel soundscape, Prosper Kelechi, aka P.Centric, emerges as a breath of fresh air with his latest EP, The Year Everything Aligned. Across the eight-track EP, the young bard weaves a soundscape that blends his progressive Afro-fusion sonics with profound inspirational themes.

The EP begins with a prayerful monologue in Igbo language from his mother. Over cinematic ambient piano chords and suspenseful percussion her voice hovers softly as she showers him with blessings and advice. “You will grow in wisdom/ Be an honest man/ Stand firm in truth/ Patience is the key of life/ When breadfruit becomes ripe, it falls/ I thank God for how special you are/ You will be a good friend to others/ May good people like you surround you,” she says, loosely translated in English. The monologue sets the tone for the EP, ushering in P.Centric’s intimate, powerful and didactic messaging.
 
The first few tracks in the EP showcase P.Centric’s Afro-fusion vision. Track 2, “Amarachukwu” opens the EP in full swing, with its exciting highlife and Afro pop fusion. “All Over Me” continues with this highlife-leaning approach, subtly showcasing his other signature compositional techniques, including the use of backing vocals, as well as a neat blend of indigenous languages. “In You” follows suit with an even more expansive blend of highlife and Afro pop, tucking in warm flute riffs, while “Not Alone” immerses his Afro Pop alto strongly. Other songs like “In A Hurry” and “What Else” arrive as polar opposites, showcasing his emo-pop/Afro lounge pop fusions, bringing the EP into a sonic palette of diverse progressive Afro-inspired fusions.
 
P.Centric’s template of combining several sonics sits as the golden point of this EP. However, the singer’s arrangement and delivery also shine in the EP. For instance, a song like “Abide” sees him wield both melodic lead, and backing vocals, as he floats over the bubble highlife/emo-pop fusion singing, “Me, I abide o (under the shadow o)/ of the Almighty.” He flips the entire prayers of Psalm 91 into a catchy chorus and verses, sprinkling Nigerian pidgin into the lyrics which elevates its relatability. Other songs like “All Over Me” and “In You” appear similarly, although with extra backing vocals from guest vocalists.
 
Also, in his delivery P.Centric showcases his clever songwriting, stretching the recall of most of the lyrics with his falsettos and melismas. Other techniques like repetition, where he breaks down the rhyme scheme into syllables, common within Rap and Rnb traditions work diligently within the EP. Some standout use cases in this EP include “In You”, “In A Hurry” and “What Else”.
 
Apart from his immersive soundscape and delivery, P.Centric weaves the entire EP along the lines of Christian spirituality. His messages arrive as sharp-yet-subtle, as if he intends to reach even more secular audiences. In “What Else”, one could easily liken the record, thanks to its soothing emo pop progressions and lyrics, as a love record. However, at a closer listen, he goes, “Oh, what a friend I have in Jesus/ In you I am perfect; In you, I am so blessed,” and one gets the hang of his Afro Gospel artistry in the EP. All the records revel in the idea of building a personal relationship with God, with songs like “Amarachukwu”, preaching confidence in God; “In a hurry”, preaching steadfastness; “All Over Me”, preaching God’s divine protection; among others. The messaging is the kind that gets under one’s skin, even despite being non-Christian. The lyrics are simple, catchy and delivered with a range of singing techniques that elevate both the sonics and the message in the EP.  
 
While the entire EP rings clearly with each song containing shock value, a few standout songs from the EP include “In You”, “What Else”, “Abide”, and “All Over Me”. P.Centric’s composition connects as a very cathartic experience, with strong, inspiring themes. Its subtle dancey groove helps enliven the EP, giving it a vibrant pulse, without distorting the overall reflective mood one gets from its messaging.
 
Overall, P.Centric makes a statement as a sonic guru, a clever wordsmith and an impressively entertaining musician. The Year Everything Aligned is his magnum opus, a fine compilation of records that aim to both soothe, encourage and excite the listener, pointing to an emotional duality that is fast-becoming his template for classics. The record sits as one of the most interesting Afro fusion gospel records in rotation across Nigerian music.