All the promise of his debut comes true on
Aloe Blacc
's sophomore release,
Good Things
, a vintage sound meets modern problems release with a way too modest title. Right from the opening
"I Need a Dollar"
-- which could be passed off as unreleased
Bill Withers
, no problem -- the album offers grand things, providing listeners with that solid, but not polarizing, style of social commentary
Withers
perfected. On the following cut, positivity is pushed ("Something special happened today/I got green lights all the way") in a manner that's far from sugary, but this singer who offers such warmth and humility on his smooth
soul
tracks is well aware of sin, and can get slinky in a
Al Green
style when warning against loose women on
"Hey Brother."
An even better example of this is his cover of the
Velvet Underground
's
"Femme Fatale,"
which becomes much more than a clever choice, thanks to a convincing performance that suggests he's been there. The organic production, real horns and all, is left up entirely to the
Truth & Soul Productions
crew (
Jeff Dynamite
and
Leon Michels
) but
Blacc
's delivery is less traditional with phrasing and some slang left over from when he was a 24-7 rapper. Anyone with a taste for
neo-soul
should try
unique flavor. It comes on familiar and comfortable and becomes more rich and rewarding with every return visit. ~ David Jeffries