Nick Hakim's I Can See hailed as hazy alt-R&B masterpiece
Nick Hakim's fourth album I Can See is being called his most focused work yet, a hazy alt-R&B set praised as a masterpiece for its layered vocals, smoky production, and structured songs that still float in a stoner-R&B haze. For fans tracking nick hakims can see, the takeaway is simple: it's essential listening.
According to a Variety album review, the record sits in "stoner R&B"—a sprawling lane that takes in Dijon, Frank Ocean, Brent Faiyaz, and Jhene Aiko. That style favors languid grooves, heavy bass, psychedelicized production, and unhurried vocals over the choppy urgency of traditional R&B.
Key Takeaways
- "I Can See" is Hakim's fourth album and, per Variety, his most focused work to date.
- Standouts include the gorgeous "Real Here Now" and densely layered "U Can Make It."
- The mix is deliberately hazy: vocals and instruments waft in and out of the frame.
- Later tracks grow murkier with dub reggae-like effects, extending 2022's "Cometa" cosmic lean.
- Variety frames the album as R&B from a different planet—beyond standard alternative R&B.
What makes nick hakims can see different from his past albums?
Hakim first emerged in 2014 with his "Where Will We Go" EPs and later albums that pushed further from convention. By 2022's "Cometa," Variety notes, conventional song structures had pretty much drifted off.
"I Can See" reverses that drift without ditching the smoke. Despite unhurried tempos and smoky vibes, Variety describes a seriously structured set, with multiple layers of soft, soulful vocals and shimmering keyboards. It is equal parts electronic and organic: conventional snare and rimshot sounds sit beside heavy digital bass, piano treated until it resembles a warped calliope, and backing vocals that float like a chorus of ghosts.
Which songs define the album's sound?
"Real Here Now" is singled out as one of the most gorgeous R&B songs you'll hear all year—almost like an Usher track from a parallel universe. The following cut, "U Can Make It," is densely layered around a thudding electronic bass drum, echo-drenched piano, and stacks of vocals.
That haze is part of the point. Vocals and instruments drift through the mix like music from a passing car or the apartment next door. You're not always sure what you're hearing, Variety argues, and that uncertainty is a feature, not a bug—one reason nick hakims can see lands with crossover appeal that defies easy pigeonholing.
Why does the second half feel more cosmic?
After the more conventionally structured songs of the album's first half, the closing stretch continues "Cometa"'s journey toward the cosmos. Tracks grow murkier and pile on effects reminiscent of dub reggae.
Variety's verdict is blunt: "I Can See" sits in a realm beyond alternative R&B—more like R&B from a different planet. For more music and entertainment alerts, browse our Streaming & TV Alerts hub.