(June 18, 2025) Back to Basics, Vol. 1, Noel Gourdin’s latest album, sounds like an exact description of his musical career. Going back to “The River,” the tune that served as the public’s introduction to Gourdin, he’s been identified as an artist who brought the classic elements of soul singing to the contemporary R&B game.
Those elements include great musical storytelling told by a vocalist who is not afraid to use his rangy and emotive baritone to go for the emotional jugular. Gourdin embraced values like loyalty and being a gentleman that go lacking in a lot of mainstream music.
Gourdin explores several sub-genres of R&B, including Southern Soul, contemporary R&B and soul. However, storytelling, solid lyrical content and those oh so sweet vocals are the tissue that connect Back to Basics, Vol. 1 with Gourdin’s earlier work.
The tune we focus on in this First Listen is the title track, “Back to Basics.” The tune has a percussive groove backed by a funky bass line and a touch of rock guitars, and it finds extolling the virtues of keeping things simple. Check out Noel Gourdin’s latest single from his Back to Basics, Vol. 1 here.
By Howard Dukes
