So I thought it's finally time to review Maxwell's new album. Maxwell is one of my all-time favourite artists ever, an R&B/ jazz/ soul legend. Since "Urban Hang Suite" and "Embrya" to now, his music style has changed but still stayed true to his Jazz roots. Where do I even start with this man? I actually love him. Like...guys. His vocal range- I just can't...for a writer his music renders me speechless and pratically illiterate - as you can probably tell.
I'm doing something a little different today as I am still listening to the album as I write ( like I always do) but this is the first time I'm doing this with an album I've never heard before.
My first impression on the first track "All the ways love can feel" ...dissapointment. It's still Maxwell and he still has the jazz undertones but his beautiful voice is lost underneath synth pop and some mad autotuning. His 2nd track is a slight improvement, less autotuning which is nice. The song has a good beat, a sort of tribal feel to it, more Free-funk, not exactly a dancing song but close. Track 3 has got my head bopping! This song bangs. The third track, conviniently called "III" has got a modern feel to it and is definitley one to get you dancing. Track 4. Finally some typical Maxwell mood-setting music. "Lake By The Ocean" is sexy, easy and of course it's lyrically beautiful. I often find his songs are a smooth bridge between music and poetry. I haven't heard the rest yet but this is probably my favourite track. "Fingers Crossed" is a song about a man who is caught up in unrequited love and is desperately wishing for her to love him. It's actually quite a sad song and this is felt by the piano and the underlayers of classical music and the third stream.
I don't want to type whilst I'm listening to "Hostage" (track 6) because honestly the song is just trippy and is asking for my full attention. This is a song (again) about love, that will allow you to get lost in it. The second part of the album is definitley more of the Max we know and love. "1990x" and "Gods" are both purely vocal, smooth jazz tracks. Similar to the style seen in "Now". Just when I think the album is now going to all be smooth jazz, the 9th track "Lost" throws a curve ball, this has more of a blues genre and the story of the album is becoming clearer. At this point in the album the man from earlier is experiencing a heartbreak making this the perfect break-up song. I'm on the last track called "Listen Hear". I stopped typing because I was just enjoying the album too much - sorry not sorry, it is what it is :) I thouroughly enjoyed it and the album ends with the sound of crashing waves.
Overall I would say this album is another success... let me not lie - I'm in love with this album! Seriously it's so good. Maxwell did not dissappoint - except the first track. But even that is made up for by the 3rd to 11th track's.
blackSUMMERS'night is available to listen to on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6pjoIUNpMtQaSJvRUmsnSh
