Daybreak (2008)
When you here the word experimental in the realm of music, many times people tend to be afraid of the experience. Well, when Muhsinah took her imagination and laced it with her uncanny affinity for melodies, a gem named Day Break 2.0 was born. Essentially on the same sonic level as a Prince bootleg, a […]
Purpose (2008)
Algebra is a tease. Her commercial debut, Purpose, has no purpose, except perhaps to frustrate long-time fans of her music. I know, I know, that everybody with indie cred is suppose to love this R&B chick (and I use this phrase with all its implicit dismissiveness) because neo-soul’s founding father, Kedar Massenberg, has coronated Algebra […]
Lay It Down (2008)
The legend of Al Green has continued to grow, nearly 40 years after he first hit the charts and decades since his commercial peak. Green’s early 70s Memphis-based work with producer Willie Mitchell has aged well and so has Green, who continues to boast an incredible range and vocal technique even as he enters enters […]
Time Traveller (2008)
This 4 piece collective from LA made an impressive debut in 2004 with The Return of Jack Splash, gaining world-wide critical acclaim in the process. Now four years on and with Mr Splash being preoccupied in the meantime with production duties for the likes of John Legend, Beyonce and Jamie Foxx et al, they return with an […]
E=MC2 (2008)
There’s no other diva like Mariah Carey. She’s approaching 20 stellar years in the recording industry. She’s broken long-standing records by everyone from Whitney to Elvis. A few years ago, she suffered a much-publicized nervous breakdown only to regain her glory through The Emancipation of Mimi. With this backdrop, Mariah returns once again with incumbent […]
Fingers and Thumbs (2008)
Brothers Will and Benji Bower, together with colleague Ben Muscat, release their fourth album in total and their first on the innovative Tru-Thoughts label. It is a fine label debut, jam packed with gems ranging from cinematic jazz through to soul, funk, hip-hop, blues and electronic. This variety of genres works well across a double CD package […]
Journal Entries EP (2008)
Seeming to spring into the consciousness of soulheads around the US a couple years ago, Nashville singer Darnell Levine turned quite a few heads with his debut CD, We Gon’ Use What We Got. Bearing obvious comparisons to Bobby McFerrin, Levine combined solid songwriting with a multi-layered, sometimes ostentatious, vocal performance that gave him a […]
Therapy (2008)
Therapy, the latest record from Atlanta based R&B singer Christine Horn, has many teaching moments. With Horn standing in front of the blackboard, she uses her songs to teach her female students how to keep their men out of the strip club while instructing the men on how to keep a – ahem – happy […]
Higher Ground (2008)
With a voice as sweet as a spring shower, Wayna blesses the microphone of your soul with her sophomore effort entitled Higher Ground. Just as in her buzzworthy debut Moments Of Clarity, Wayna’s poetic songwriting skills take you on a journey that nods your head and tickles the intellect. Standout soul with Wanya’s bebop-gospel soul […]
Bringing Back The Funk (2008)
Why do white performers of traditionally black music feel compelled to bring something back that nobody knew was missing? Clairvoyant to a fault, these sacrificial lambs always seem to be out to help those less fortunate while also enriching their bankrol-uhm…soul. First, the Michael Jackson wanna-be acolyte, Justin Timberlake, was bringing "Sexy Back," because, you […]
