The New Soul, with a retro vibe, field seems to be further populating in 2010, much more of this and we might even have a ‘movement’ on our hands with Motown Revue style concerts etc. Quite a mouth watering prospect when you think about it. In particular two of the leading lights from previous years, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings and Eli Paperboy Reed, have put out albums this year that really consolidated their positions. If one man stole their thunder though it had to be Aloe Blacc, whose ‘Good Things’ album won him some richly deserved attention. First getting a heads up when Mark Lamarr started championing the insistent ‘I Need A Dollar’ (he’ll be missed next year I tell you), Aloe went on to prove those credentials holding his own on live mainstream UK TV alongside a star studded line up of Paul McCartney, Neil Diamond, Elvis Costello and The Black Keys. The album succeeds because it manages to sound thoroughly contemporary, not a mere nostalgia fest. Aloe Blacc demonstrates that he has an ear for older, diverse sounds by delicate means. The clues are there though, quite clearly with the instrumental reprise track ‘Politician’ which is a psychedelic fanfare in all but name. It can be deduced in the fact that he covers the Velvet Underground classic ‘Femme Fatale’ and makes such a convincing job of it that you’d nearly believe the song started life as an achingly beautiful Soul number. Above all though this is an album packed with killer tunes played with proper guts and soul; an old fashioned trick in itself. The production manages to give off an analogue warmth simply by doing the basics really well, there are no unnecessary Dance or Urban references and the unsavoury aspects of 21st Century R&B like Autotune vocals are steered well clear of. Aloe Blacc plays it like a musical purist and all music lovers of a similar mind should find good things aplenty with this one. Have a listen to the whole album here:
No comments:
Post a Comment