Widely known these days as the keyboardist for Maroon 5, almost 11 years ago PJ Morton was a 23-year-old independent soul artist releasing his debut album, Emotions. What a gift to soul music fans it was: warm, elastic vocals, great songwriting, memorable melodies, and all organic instrumentation, a rarity then, and unfortunately still now, on an indie budget. Notably, the publisher of a then-fledgling website called SoulTracks enthusiastically characterized the record as “essential listening.” And it still is.
While the record is awash in terrific tracks, perhaps the strongest is “Heavenly Father.” Amid gospel chords, a finger-snappin’ groove, and tasteful horn accents, Morton makes a desperate plea to God to help him fight a war within himself, a battle he’s fought, and lost, before. This is elegant, spiritual, and rewarding music. You’ll find yourself cheering for Morton to win, and hitting “replay” for another listen. Enjoy.
By Robb Patryk
