I don’t watch MTV anymore and hardly list to the radio, which would explain why I am almost always last to things musically speaking, but Aloe Blacc is one of those artists you just can’t help but be curious about. His beat and sound are faultless. His voice is rustic and real, every note emotive and coolly powerful. His lyrics hit home whether catchy or touchy, something about the words read like a story. Lift Your Spirit, his third album, his first on a major label, is an eclectic mix of soul and folk sounds, a touch of pop and lashings of R&B, with sharp lyrics and a generational appeal: young and old will find this charming. Its borne of an old soul infused with the urgency of the young but with a mellow feel and to that end he has not lost the touch of his indie base. There’s heart and soul, and its happy- whether he’s singing about issues of social awareness or matters of the heart. The evidence of his range is immediately obvious in the varying tempos of the album- romantic but never soppy Red Velvet Seat, the more folksy and socially conscious Ticking Bomb, more popular and inspiring Wake Me Up and the über cool and very important I’m The Man. Most definitely worth your time and dime.
Video for I’m The Man.