搬運自：微信公眾號【評論搬一堆】（在原文基礎上添加了英語原文與排版調整）

翻譯：Ryan-Chopin

校正：WhitneyL

排版：Lynn Liu

這位歌手愉快地回憶起經(jīng)典R&B的時代，即使她的聲音有點過于不溫不火。

To understand Sabrina Claudio and her new?No Rain, No Flowers?release, it’s important to understand the streaming-induced earthquake that has taken place in?R&B?over the last three years.

想要了解Sabrina Claudio和她的新發(fā)行專輯《No Rain, No Flowers》，就要先著手去了解過去三年中R&B音樂所經(jīng)歷的流媒體帶來的轟動。

During the initial phase of the still-ongoing trap era, R&B was effectively on the ropes as a commercial proposition. But as streaming services revved up, codified their playlists and attracted millions of young listeners, R&B singers were thrown a lifeline. On mainstream radio, they had to duke it out with rappers who were frequently more blunt and more trendy. But in the tranquil world of popular playlists like “All the Feels” and “Love, Sex & Water” — tagline: “a spa for your soul” — the serene singer reigns supreme.

在這個trap盛行的時代之初始階段，R&B的商業(yè)性實際上已岌岌可危。但隨著流媒體服務的加速發(fā)展、播放列表的系統(tǒng)化，并吸引了數(shù)以百萬計的年輕聽眾，R&B歌手們得以懸崖勒馬。在主流電臺上，他們不得不與那些更直率、更時髦的饒舌歌手一決雌雄。但像“All the Feels”和“Love, Sex & Water”這樣的流行歌曲所在的列表中，曲調平和的歌手占據(jù)了主導地位。

So a whole school of R&B acts, from H.E.R. to Daniel Caesar to Sonder, arose to fill this niche. In this new lane, a singer like Claudio can amass nearly 400 million streams across two tidy releases without anything resembling what they used to call a hit. She sings like dripping glass, flowing from note to note. Emotional histrionics were once R&B’s calling card, but Claudio prefers coolheaded de-escalation — why wail when you can sigh?

因此，從H.E.R.到Daniel Caesar再到Sonder，整個R&B流派興起，填補了這一空缺。在這條新的道路上，Claudio這樣的歌手可以在兩張唱片中獲得近4億的流媒體播放，但用以前標準來衡量的話也稱不上大熱單曲了。她的演繹像玻璃杯滴著水，從一個音符接著另一個音符滴落出聲。情感表演曾經(jīng)是R&B歌手慣用的招數(shù)，但Claudio更喜歡慢慢地沉寂她的歌聲，仿佛在說：當你可以嘆息時，為什么要哭泣呢?

No Rain, No Flowers?opens with a few of those sighs laid over plangent keyboards and pretty, understated bass; it’s an invitation to sink in, to join the singer in her languor. That’s where things stay for the next 28 minutes. This album is consistently suave, admirably steady.

《No Rain, No Flowers》伴隨著幾聲嘆息，伴隨著鍵盤的轟隆聲和優(yōu)美、樸素的低音拉開帷幕，邀請你沉浸其中，加入歌手的慵懶之中，享受接下來28分鐘的靜素。這張專輯至始至終都有那種溫文爾雅且難得的平穩(wěn)之感。

But it’s also a little tepid.?No Rain, No Flowers?is obsessed with melody — Claudio is a master of ruffling and extending notes, dawdling in many shades of breathy, high-register singing — but frequently indifferent to rhythm. There are dashes of almost pushy cocktail funk and hissing hip-hop soul, and even a touch of vindictiveness on “Creation:” “His fingers never used to move that way,” Claudio sings, “so you’re welcome for the pleasure.” Still, the primary sensation imparted by?No Rain, No Flowers?is one of gentle drift.

It’s a soothing balm for whatever ails you, and the album certainly contains plenty of ammunition for a playlist like “Chilled Hits.” But when Claudio wonders, “did we lose our minds?” it’s unnerving: The unerring evenness of the music means you can’t tell. That is part of this sound’s appeal — and part of its drawback.

但她的聲音終歸有點不溫不火?！禢o Rain, No Flowers》的制作注重旋律：“Creation”中充斥著咄咄逼人的放克樂和嘶嘶作響的嘻哈式靈魂樂，甚至還有一點惡毒心理：“他的手指從來沒有那樣移動過，”Claudio唱道，“所以你可以盡情享受?！?/strong>然而，《No Rain, No Flowers》帶來的情感是循序漸進的，且讓人感到溫馨舒適。