One of the better albums of 2008 was just released this week

[kearn1tm]

http://www.okayplayer.com/reviews/september-2008/raphael-saadiq-200809176458/

Luminary '90s Neo-Soul artist Raphael Saadiq is back with a reinvention of sorts to his smooth contemporary sound with a tribute to the R&B of yesteryear, paying homage to artists ranging from Gladys Knight and The Four Tops to The Pips and Al Green. I've only given it two spins so far, but on initial inspection, it's wonderful, and may crack my "Best of the Year" list.

[El_Jeffe]

ahh good, hopefully this thread is still on the front page come morning, to remind me to check it out. i almost forgot about this release, although i'm not sure what to expect. i know he's a pretty well respected & acclaimed artist, influenced by some of the best & collaborated with a lot of greats, but in the past his work has come across as a little dry & stale to me. i'm not sure if it's something along the lines of him taking too much guidance from the music of his influences & his sound not being "fresh" enough, or (most likely) if he's another talent that just won't click with me haha. but i'll check this out for sure

[kearn1tm]

ahh good, hopefully this thread is still on the front page come morning, to remind me to check it out. i almost forgot about this release, although i'm not sure what to expect. i know he's a pretty well respected & acclaimed artist, influenced by some of the best & collaborated with a lot of greats, but in the past his work has come across as a little dry & stale to me. i'm not sure if it's something along the lines of him taking too much guidance from the music of his influences & his sound not being "fresh" enough, or (most likely) if he's another talent that just won't click with me haha. but i'll check this out for sure

I've always felt Saadiq's solo work suffered from being a little too "contemporary R&B by numbers." His voice was always appreciated in Tony! Toni! Tone'! but was tempered by the creativity of his fellow bandmates. As a producer, he's solid, but I've always got the sense from him that he's capable of much more. I'd imagine that, if your biggest problem with Saadiq is not having his own "voice," this won't change your opinion on him. For this LP, he's merely changed aesthetic and sonic cues from influences of the '80s to the '60s-'70s, and the result is a synthesis of some of the best R&B sounds of the past with modern production and it's a good homage to the past, but sadly, Saadiq has yet to craft and individual identity for himself.

[absolutecrunk]

Yeaaah Raphael Saadiq. I remember I bought Instant Vintage back when it was riding the single power of You Should Be Here. That song is down as hellllllll. You should check out Calvin Richardson, he came out with an album this year as well and it's smoov.

[kearn1tm]

You should check out Calvin Richardson, he came out with an album this year as well and it's smoov.

I'll give him a listen. Thanks for the rec.

[IWasaCamera]

Never did much for me but I'll check the new one out.