On the title track of Majid Jordan’s The Space Between, singer Majid Al Maskati invites the object of his affection—or the listener, or both—to live in the moment with him. The directive comes at the end of a blissful album that aims to make each song its own event. The Toronto duo has existed in a perpetual state of evolution since rocketing into the spotlight, four years ago, with a feature on Drake’s “Hold On, We’re Going Home.” Their 2014 debut EP, A Place Like This, settled on moody R&B, while their self-titled debut album from last year attempted a balancing act between sullen and bright. Here, on their sophomore LP, Majid Jordan arrive at a sweet spot: their own in-between, a dance-flavored romance uniquely theirs. They’ve created a set that understands the beauty of the journey, no matter the destination.
Jordan Ullman’s retro-futuristic productions are built on a foundation of 1980s synth-pop energy and dreamy contemporary effects. It shines consistently throughout The Space Between, and perhaps most so when he does things like remix their proper opening song for an outro. Majid’s vocals take on different auras that change based on the backdrops they’re placed against. On the sexy ballad “You,” the duo soften the music to expose Majid’s tenderness; on “Asleep,” the layers and pulsating beat give his voice edge. The pair have a symbiotic relationship that highlights their gifts while offering both the benefit of versatility.
An audio rip of “Gave Your Love Away” has been floating around the internet since June when it was previewed at a Louis Vuitton fashion show (and again on an episode of OVO Radio). But the official version is an early standout on the album, and it was worth the wait. Jordan’s deep basslines and Majid’s atmospheric voice are readymade for dropping the top and heading out on the open road of the prior “Intro.” The same intoxicating groove carries over into “OG Heartthrob”—a fine blend of R&B romance with addictive pop sensibility. This trio of tracks may be one of the year's best opening sequences: the transitions are impeccable, offering a seamless sense of place and mood.
Aesthetically, The Space Between shifts away from the darker tints of their previous album, painting in upbeat, sunset tones. Lead single “Phases,” for example, could have easily taken a more melancholic turn: “All of these people and all of their names/All of this love and all this disdain,” Majid sings over swelling piano stabs before a skittering drum spins his introspection into a rink-ready bounce. Even the lovesick “What You Do to Me” is garnished with otherworldly synths that translate the kind of love that makes you “feel like [you’re] magic” into actual magic.
The album’s only features come courtesy of their OVO labelmates PARTYNEXTDOOR and dvsn. Together, the three acts create a spectrum of current R&B aesthetics: PARTY’s proclivity for rap influences in contrast to Majid’s smoothness, while the latter’s voice lacks some of the emotion of Daniel Daley’s. But Majid Jordan’s position in, yes, the space between makes sense: they are the only ones going for larger-than-life, bonafide pop music. They shirk profanity and the overly obscene in favor of a sound that seeks to defy age and time. It's radio-ready by default, but Majid Jordan don’t sound particularly concerned about whether or not it works so much as creating a neon-lit jam session where everyone is welcome.
The Space Between is Majid Jordan’s most refined full-length. The writing is simple but effective; the productions are intricate but subtly propulsive. There is plenty that can stand alone here, but the album is best consumed all the way through, present and unhurried. It offers a place of solace in the discomfort of change, a means to an unknown end. It remains to be seen whether Majid Jordan have peaked, but they’ve certainly found solid ground to coast on. This music feels as good as it sounds. And its spirit, rather than its lyrics, encourages you to keep moving, to get in the car and just go—even if it is on a road to nowhere.
