I am one of those that discovered great soul and funk music through movies. The soundtracks of “Shaft” “Coffy”“Superfly” and more recently “Jackie Brown” have given me a deep appreciation for the sexy, gritty, emotionally charged music of the 70’s soul genre. I really should spend more time looking for acts in this vein.
Aloe Blacc’s 2010 release “Good things” is atypical for a relatively young artist in today’s age. At 34 he didn’t grow up in the hayday of 70’s music. Like me, he would have grown up while Duran Duran was slaying the charts and Inspector Gadget was being saved by Penny and Brain. Oh that Dr. Claw…
It’s remarkable that Aloe Blacc is able to transcend his age and time to produce a soulful, emotional, funky album worthy of the current generation’s ipods. He reminds me a lot of Bill Withers on some tracks, Curtis Mayfield on others and James Brown on others -all with a modern touch crafted by his producer, DJ Peanut Butter Wolf. His arrangments are always adorned with strings, punchy horns and of course the sultry baseline that is the bread and butter of any soul song. Big fan of Bill Withers by the way.
Good things in a lot of ways is a paradox. Most of the songs are about loss, struggle, betrayal, yet leave you with a smile on your face because the delivery is so catchy and bouncy. Tracks like “I need a Dollar” “Hey Brother” and “Life so Hard” are good examples of how the bass and melody add emotional power to a song without making it downright depressing.
Meanwhile the second track “Green Lights” (an arc with the first track “I need a dollar”) although somber and reflective, is incredibly positive and give you that “winning” feeling. Hey Charile? “Good things” and “You make me smile” are definite mood lifters after a long day grindin’ it out on the streets.
The only track I didn’t care for, surprisingly, was the single “Loving you is Killing me.” Next to the rest of the album, it feels too polished and radio ready. Obviously, this is intentional, as it was a single accompanied by a fun and light video with a youngster dance prodigy.
All in all, Aloe Blacc’s “Good things” is a great listen. It’s raw and unpolished delivery suits the genre while being revealing on a good hi-fi setup. Check out the amp hum on “you make me smile” for the first 20 seconds. Hear it? There are a lot of these subtle quirks that make the album feel legit. It could have easily been a hit record in 1972.
I enjoyed it thoroughly and I hope you do to. So full of Good things!
