Without sounding like damning with faint praise, Hats Off is an entirely pleasant listen. The leads are passionate, the backs have energy, and these songs generally move. It's a nice way to check in with the Derbies, whom RARB hasn't heard from since 2019's To Be Determined.

By far, the EP's best song is Palace. Aidan LeBlanc does double duty as the song's arranger and soloist, and he does a fantastic job with both: his lead drips with emotion, and the arrangement is well-paced, adding small extra layers with each verse, to keep this ballad moving along. It's not perfect — there are a few sections with block chords that could've benefitted from a more delicate touch — but ultimately, when the song ends, the listener is left remembering the feeling that the Derbies convey more than any specific notes that they sang, and that is the mark of a successful performance.

Unfortunately, the rest of the album doesn't quite reach that pinnacle, and what I want overall is MORE. More dynamics, more variation in arrangements (too many sustained notes or block chords), and more emotion. Standing Next To You jumps in like a lion and … continues like a lion throughout. Get Sun has a short zoomy intro and then quickly settles into a pretty consistent volume. CUFF IT seems long and repetitive. I want each of these songs to take me on a ride, with ups and downs and quiets and louds and little nuances in the arrangement that catch me by surprise. The Derbies do a serviceable job with these songs — they're on-pitch, they blend, they perform the notes, but I want to hear a performance that makes me remember the journey, and not one that just gets to the destination.

The Derbies show that they have a good foundation on Hats Off, but I want to hear their songs really take flight. They've shown they can do it on Palace; they just have to figure out how to push every song to leave that same kind of lasting impression.

In reviewing the group's album from 2019, To Be Determined, a good part of my criticism was directed towards the overall musicality of the record, where I thought the Derbies had room for improvement regarding necessary elements such as phrasing and dynamics. I was really hoping that this note was paid attention to, but it was apparent early on while listening to Hats Off that the feedback was perhaps overlooked. While there are certainly some nice moments throughout the album, the Derbies can't overcome the overarching issues that stem around these important missing musical elements.

Get Sun is a good example of the missing elements. Mikai Spencer delivers a very soulful solo, with plenty of emotion and vocal slides to keep the listener engaged. But, the background vocals largely just sit in the same rhythmic pattern throughout the whole track — there's not a lot of change in dynamics or phrasing throughout the verses that match what Spencer is trying to do. Frankly, I think the backgrounds are just generally too loud — partially overcoming the solo altogether. If there was just a little bit of differentiation in the dynamics between the verses and chorus, that alone would have made the track a bit more memorable. The same issue presents itself in Palace from the very start, where I feel the bass line is far too loud both in the beginning and in the final chorus over Aidan LeBlanc's solo, which is tender and simply beautiful. I want to be able to feel the emotion from Sam Smith's lyrics, but if the balance is such that the lower parts come through as screaming over the solo, that emotion just evaporates.

All that said, the one track where the Derbies did pay more attention to musicality is CUFF IT, where the singers generally do a very good job balancing their dynamic levels against the edgy and emotional solo from Brayson Freeman. LeBlanc's arrangement here is well-put-together, with smooth transitions into each section and rhythmically interesting lines across all voice parts. This track is easily the best on the album, and what makes the rest of the album a bit frustrating to listen to because I know the potential is there. The musicality is present — these guys can certainly sing, and have immense talent.

The Brown Derbies's next step is to put that talent and musicality together — each track on the group's next album should strive to surpass CUFF IT - that has to be the standard moving forward. And I certainly look forward to listening to that release in the near future. But, until that time comes, it may be a little while until I pick up Hats Off again.

It's time for a return trip to Brown University to check in on the Derbies. Hats Off is a pleasantly peaceful album, but that's more of an issue than a compliment. This album has many setups for huge impacts, dynamic intrigue, and some very strong soloists. However, the final product is very muted. There are minimal big moments and large swaths of mediocre executions that bore me by the end. This album has no real failures, but the lack of highlights leads to a less-than-stellar performance.

Let's start with the first track. Standing Next To You is rhythmically interesting but dynamically dull. I want to love this song so much more than I do. Arata Fujii and Xavier Dargan's arrangement is constantly filled with fun little flips and turns among dense R&B-pop chords. This is the kind of score that could be a lot of fun to listen to again and again while finding new, intriguing moments. Even after 5-6 listens, I still found new harmonies and countermelodies in the background. However, the track sits at one dynamic — everything is a mezzo-forte. When everything is one dynamic, impact is limited to whatever can be done with rhythms. Even a second piano dynamic would heavily elevate this track. However, to unlock the full potential of the music, the Derbies also need to add microdynamics. Little swells and decays among the phrases would add intrigue where it didn't exist before. Instead, we are greeted with various shades of "kinda loud", and it loses my interest quickly.

Palace, for me, is the low point of the album, having many of the same issues outlined earlier. However, this track also has none of the rhythmic intrigue. Aidan LeBlanc's solo is incredibly solid, but it exists purely independently of the backgrounds, and the backgrounds are very blocky. For what feels like a strong majority of the piece, all voice parts move simultaneously. The backings give some support to the soloist, but their lack of interest centers all focus on the soloist. If LeBlanc doesn't sing for a phrase, we're just left floating in the musical ether with minimal direction. I found myself bored listening to this track.

This is directly countered by CUFF IT, which is by far the best track on the album. Brayson Freeman's solo somehow holds incredibly similar traits to Beyonce's original, but that only feels like part of the story. This track is constantly finding new rhythms and frills to add. It's an ever-growing tapestry of sound, and we're finally starting to see dynamics and direction in phrases. This feels like it should be the baseline of what could be possible for the Derbies. There are still small flaws, such as wanting more diction between words and hard cutoffs, but this has the promise of greatness. All I can say to a track like this is "I want more". I want more energy. I want more fun. I want the group to practically be exhausted after singing this one song. That energy could take the group to the next level, and I want to hear it.

The album concludes with Telephone Message, the group's signature end to every recorded release. It acts as a fun tag to the album, leaving the listener with a grin. I found myself smiling over how ridiculous this track is. However, it helps encapsulate the group — there are little moments of the music that are nice, but nothing that draws attention for long. Take a listen, but I'll find myself waiting for something that sticks in the brain a little longer.