Album Review: 1200 — Séance/Spirit

Jecorey Arthur’s double album reflects the duality of darkness and light, told through scenes of urban plight, inner struggles, finding love and looking to the future. Séance/Spirit is part autobiographical narrative, part stylish metaphor and part sharp social critique. But, at its core, it’s a conglomeration of what he’s been building 1200 toward — the kind of versatility that can swing from piano-heavy songs with multiple vocalists (“Devil”) to big, atmospheric hip-hop tracks (“Twenty,” “Slain”) to marimba and voice interludes (“Fly,” “Reincarnation”) that break things up. Throughout the past few years, his live shows have been unpredictable, hitting everything in between a smooth delivery paired with an orchestral-style backing and a refined, beat-oriented, straightforward classic hip-hop energy. And this is where all of the pieces of the puzzle connect.