Tuesday, June 30, 2009

BLACKsummers'night (review)

I'll just say it, for the past several years Rhythm and Blues has quickly become a genre of gimmick and embarrassment. Auto-tuners and R&B thugs have inspired a culture of infantile skill and degenerate lyricism far removed from the likes of Cooke, Green, Wonder, Gaye and Vandross. "Fuckin hoes" and "poppin pussy" have quickly become the catch phrases of an art form once rich in love, heartbreak and raw emotion. BLACKsummers'night, however, is both a leap from stagnation and a renaissance of the soul that once flooded radio waves across the world. You will not find Jeezy features, 808 claps, watered down synthesizers, swag or any kind of "through the phone" kissing here. This is not an album designed to enable a night of bad decision making and the pursuit of shameful, empty grudge sex. If you are seeking such commodities I suggest that you join your local Highschool students in line at Target for the latest cracker jack, snap song. Maxwell has managed to corral a special balance of groove, instrumentation and sensitivity capable of facing the expectations of generations past, present and future. BLACKsummers'night is timeless and quite possibly the best release of 2009. Enjoy and be sure to purchase the album next Tuesday, July 7th.
  1. Bad Habits
  2. Cold
  3. Pretty Wings
  4. Help Somebody
  5. Stop the World
  6. Love You
  7. Fistful of Tears
  8. Playing Possum
  9. Phoenix Rise

No comments: