to listen or purchase
In basketball they refer to it as being In the Zone; it's the point when a player is peaking, when the hoop seems the size of the Grand Canyon and he or she has the confidence that every shot will go in. Well, Eric Roberson in currently in the Zone as an artist, and is doing it on his own terms. More than a decade into his career, he's selling out concerts in increasingly large venues and his four previous albums continue to be hot sellers at indie stores and at his shows. Most importantly though, with ...Left, his first "regular" studio album in a half decade, he shows he is at a creative peak.
In basketball they refer to it as being In the Zone; it's the point when a player is peaking, when the hoop seems the size of the Grand Canyon and he or she has the confidence that every shot will go in. Well, Eric Roberson in currently in the Zone as an artist, and is doing it on his own terms. More than a decade into his career, he's selling out concerts in increasingly large venues and his four previous albums continue to be hot sellers at indie stores and at his shows. Most importantly though, with ...Left, his first "regular" studio album in a half decade, he shows he is at a creative peak.
One of the great attractions to a Roberson show is his presence; a natural, unpretentious leadership that engages the audience as integral participants in the event and makes it all work. It is difficult to channel that presence onto a studio album, but on ...Left Roberson pulls it off in a way only hinted at in his previous discs. In that respect, "Music" is the perfect opening cut, with Roberson providing an organic, conversational, story of his love for music over a mild Latin beat. It sets the tone for an album that is both engaging and comfortable with itself. Erro's lyrics have often been underrated, and they absolutely flow out on ...Left, revealing insights on relationships from the viewpoint of a 30-something year old man. Never is this perspective more poignant than on the extended reworking of his concert favorite, "Couldn't Hear Her," a lyrically stunning piece that describes the personal struggle and sacrifice concomitant with dedication to a musical (or other) career.
Musically, the disc has a number of high points, from the previously mentioned cuts to the excellent duet with Algebra ("ILUVU2MUCH"), the Stevie Wonder influenced "Open Your Eyes," and the fun tribute to a pregnant woman, "The Baby Song." Particularly enjoyable is his collaboration with the H2O production team (Mark & Nicole Hamilton) on "Too Soon," the kind of irresistible midtempo track that Charlie Wilson would kill for.
...Left has certainly been highly anticipated by Erro's legion of fans, but maybe even more by an independent soul music community looking for a few breakout releases in '07. So it is especially pleasing that Roberson creatively meets the heavy expectations, delivering his best album ever and undoubtedly one of the finest discs Soul Music fans will hear this year. Very highly recommended.
by Chris Rizik