Robert Glasper Experiment ft. Erykah Badu - Afro Blue
While the name Afro Blue might bring John Coltrane to mind, this is more along the lines of the Mongo Santamaria version. It's almost some sweetened kind of jazz, but then miss Badu comes along. As soon as Badu puts her vocals on a track, it changes identity into something more mellow, almost spiritually in tune with the rhythm. Robert Glasper's version of Afro Blue is the love child of jazz and soul, resulting in something smooth that I can't really put my finger on, but it's there somewhere in between the piano keys, probably listening to D'Angelo and burning Nag Champa. It might even be the spirit of Neo Soul.
Robert Glasper Experiment ft. Erykah Badu - Afro Blue
It's not just Erykah Badu that came together with Glasper to contribute to his upcoming album Black Radio. There's also Prince approved trio KING, blessing yet another soulful track. Move Love, as it's called, is a more breezy composition, and when accompanied by KING it turns instantly relaxing. It melts beautifully together with Afro Blue. I think we got a well produced and impressively kept together album to look forward to.
You'd think music flows out every time Alice Smith opens her mouth. That powerful voice seems to come just as easy as speech to her. Making a cover of a Cee-Lo Green song is a piece of hard work, but in Alice's hands Fool For You is a completely new song. It doesn't stray that much from the style of the original, but the feeling and power that Alice contributes with is no joke. She keeps it straight forward, and even though it originally isn't her song, this definitely feels personal.
While I felt like somthing lacked from her album For Lovers, Dreamers and Me, this makes up for it. The style fits her voice and attitude perfectly. This cover is interesting, it makes me wonder what her next step will be like, and if she will take her next album down the same way. It also makes me regret not going to the Alice Smith & Gary Clark Jr. concert while I was in New York even more, but that's just me.
It's hard finding a 'Best albums of 2011' list that doesn't include Adele. Perhaps more than any artist, she has made a big impact in music this year with her sophomore album 21, or more specifically, the single Rolling In The Deep. The young singer has time and time again been praised for her voice, and there is no doubt about it. Adele does have a great voice. It trembles in the right places, carries when it needs to, and reaches the higher notes without trouble. She even has a hint of Neo Soul in her voice and way of delivery. It's seemingly a perfect fit for every end-of-the-year list.
So why can't I enjoy her music?
Technically, Adele sings very good. But her voice does not fully convey the feeling attemped in her songs. At some point it comes close, but ultimately falls short. This is especially the case with Rolling In The Deep. Adele starts off well, but when the song approaches the chorus Adele suddenly drops all of the initial energy. This is what puzzles me. Where 21 could have become a very personal album - Adele has said that the songs are inspired of an earlier relationship gone sour - it feels surprisingly flat in many places. Her voice does most of the work, but the emotions don't seem to be the same as they allegedly were when she wrote them down into songs. The album could very well be the case of material that once were very emotional to her, but that ultimately lost much of it's importance at a later time, and so the same emotions could not be summoned as before. Maybe the label, or her co-writers (the names Paul Epworth and Ryan Tedder stand out) are used to help artists take their emotions and turn it into a more easy-to-swallow formula. Whichever it is, there is something that seemingly mutes the personality of 21.
This all comes down to my definition of Quality music. In it's absolute core, music is emotions conveyed through sound. More specifically, the artist's emotions. This, to me, is the difference between a technically good song, and a song that is captivating.Because no matter how unfair it may sound, a good voice and matching beat might take you to the top of the charts, but alone it's not enough to become Quality music. On the contrary, if you can inject your character and soul in a song, your voice doesn't need to be perfect. Think of artists like Nina Simone, Curtis Mayfield, or Lauryn Hill. They all have beautiful voices, but without all that emotion behind it, their songs wouldnt have been the powerful music that it is.
Compared to many other songs holding the radio hostage right now, she gives the listener a hint of soul. But comparing her to Amy Winehouse (and those comparisons have been many) is unfair. Amy not only drew from real life events and feelings when writing, she made us feel like we knew her personally just through listening. I feel that Adele lacked this on 21, and therefore she didn't make it to my list.
So now that we've officially finished off 2011, let's take a look at the best albums that the year had to offer.
1. Me'Shell Ndegeocello - Weather
After all the experimenting and soul searching Me'Shell has gone through on her prior albums, she finally found her way home. Me'Shell found herself, and it's not a glossy facade without a cloud in the sky. Me'Shell is smooth neo soul, in it's most human and beautifully flawed way possible. Sometimes her voice is fragile, sometimes bitter, sometimes sensual, but it's always Me'Shell. It's the voice of somebody that has gone through hard times and survived, trying to tear down the walls she built herself. Weather is coming to terms with yourself and the world. 'Hurt, are you foe or friend?', Me'Shell muses, accepting the cracks in the concrete and finding beauty where she never thought she would. It's the soundtrack of growing up, and in a way, it's a story of relief.
Notable tracks:
Me'Shell Ndegeocello - Weather
Me'Shell Ndegeocello - Petite Mort
2. Raphael Saadiq - Stone Rollin'
Raphael found his niche on The Way I See It, and on his latest album he's developed the sound even more. This time he's more old school rock'n'roll, with a big dose of funk, rather than the Motown sound he tried out last time. It's an interesting look at music history that sweeps you in and gives you a month's worth of finger-snapping, head-nodding Quality music. Raphael doesn't attempt to modernize or alter too much, why change a winning concept? He has talent enough to make it just right, both vocally and with production. The only thing better than this album when it comes to retro sounds is experiencing it live.
Raphael Saadiq - Radio
Raphael Saadiq - Stone Rollin'
3. Gary Clark Jr. - The Bright Lights EP
You never realize how much you've missed Hendrix-type blues until you hear it again. It's almost like walking into an old friend, hearing Gary Clark Jr. playing the guitar with a rare sincerity. The slower tracks show off blues at it's finest, just plain human feelings spread out on a bed of good music for you to listen and relate to. Gary Clark Jr. touches without meaning to, there's something in his voice that makes you stop for a second and reflect. Never have four tracks said so much as they do on The Bright Lights EP.
Gary Clark Jr. - Don't Owe You A Thang
Gary Clark Jr. - When My Train Pulls In
4. Blitz The Ambassador - Native Sun
Native Sun is that rare kind of album that you can listen to in it's entirety, every time. Every song stands just as well alone as it does fitted into the tracklisting. We haven't seen hip hop like this in a while, matter of fact, have we ever seen it quite like this? I'ts conscious rap meeting Fela in a form of organized chaos that proves to be completely wonderful and right at home. There's a triumphant horn section, rhythmic drums and Afrocentric themes; Blitz have returned to his roots, and he's done it with live instrumentation. The featured artists are impressive too: Native Sun is visited by Les Nubians crooning in French, soulful Corneille (where's he been hiding anyway?) and skilled rapper Shad. But they never outshine the album itself. Native Sun is it's very own, welcoming you to a better world where hip hop is equal parts lyricism, instrumentation, roots, and personality.
Blitz The Ambassador - Free Your Mind
Blitz The Ambassador - Accra City Blues
5. The Roots - Undun
The Roots have never been this mature before. This is a completely new approach: a journey from birth to death told backwards through pieces of classical music and backpacker rap set to ?uestlove's drums. Black Thought is as introspective as ever, the instrumental moments are just beautiful, and the closer the it gets to the story's conclusion, the more honest it gets. There are one or two tracks fit for a more mainstream audience, but all in all it doesn't seem as if The Roots will get any airplay this time either. And something is telling me that they're pretty happy with being hailed as the almost famous kings of hip hop underground. If only they could ditch Greg Porn once in a while.
The Roots ft. Aaron Livingston - Sleep
The Roots - Finality (4th Movement)
6. Cunninlynguists - Oneirology
Kno is turning darker by the minute, and Oneirology might be the darkest Cunninlynguists have ever gone. As the producer of the three man team, he thrives when making concept albums. The more pulled together the theme is, the more dramatic he gets, and the production of Oneirology borders at sheer megalomania with it's dreamlike twists and turns. Deacon the Villain and Natti are holding the lyrics down as usual, and even though they have as broad a theme as dreams to play around with, they just can't help but bringing some of their trademark socially aware material on. The album makes a good job of capturing the complexity of our subconscious, and the eerie mood of the project pulls you down into the elusive world of oneirology: the study of dreams.
Cunninlynguists ft. Rick Warren - Stars Shine Brightest (In The Darkest of Night)
Cunninlynguists ft. Anna Wise - Darkness (Dream On)
7. Superstar Quamallah & DeQawn - Talkin' All That Jazz
Backpacker rapper Superstar Quamallah has hid well lately, but 2011 he came back, and he had newcomer DeQawn in tow. Their album Talkin' All That Jazz was... well, basically what it sounds like. It's an album that doesn't take itself too seriously, but still offers lots of entertaining word play, good beats, and the return of the Nation of Gods and Earths to rap. Inspirations are obvious; there are references to golden age New York hip hop like Tribe Called Quest and Slick Rick, and even '70s Soul group The Floaters. At their best they even bring Poor Righteous Teachers to mind. Yes, that nice.
Superstar Quamallah & DeQawn - Guerilla Tactics
Superstar Quamallah & DeQawn - Conversations
8. Akua Naru - The Journey Aflame
The newly arrived rapper's debut album is vibrating with warm energy and sensual in it's tone, but don't confuse her for just another hip hop sex kitten. Naru goes deeper than that, exploring both the block and the mind. Her rhymes are calm and methodic, distinctively feminine without conforming to the strict norms of being a female emcee. Strong women like Nina Simone, Toni Morrison and Lauryn Hill are referenced over intoxicating beats, and Naru even tries (and succeeds) with some spoken word over smooth jazz. The Journey Aflame is a beautiful, meditative and sensuous experience, made for late nights.
Akua Naru - Nag Champa
Akua Naru - The Ride
And now for some Honorable Mentions:
Blu & Exile - Give Me My Flowers While I Can Smell Them
Another step in the direction of sophisticated hip hop dressed up in hipsterish behavior. Some might argue that Blu is striving a little too far out of known hip hop territory, but the rapper's relaxed way of rhyming together with the laidback vibe of Exile's many soulsamples would hopefully be able to calm even the most mainstream-stressed hearts.
Blu & Exile - The Only One
Jesse Boykins III - Way of a Wayfarer
It's not only hip hop that decided to try and take a new approach to the craft lately. Jesse brings neo soul into the grey zones with his breezy mellow-vocals-over-trippy-beats style. Through adding electronic producers like Gold Panda the songs get a dreamy feeling, and that is where Jesse thrives the most. While some of his songs slide over a bit too much to the electro side, most of the EP manages to balance the influences in a fresh way.
Jesse Boykins III - Back Home (Mermaids & Dragons)
King - The Story EP
The silky-voiced trio are only one short EP into the game, but are already approved by Prince (yes, that Prince). Together, KING have developed a very warm and harmonious type of Neo Soul. It was enough to convince The Artist, and more than enough to have us mere mortals fiending for more.
King - Hey
Ocote Soul Sounds - Taurus
Let's throw in some instrumental latin jazz mixed with afrobeat. Ocote Soul Sounds lends rhythms from both funk and rock, and ultimately soaks it in flavorful modernized salsa. It's an interesting mix, and makes for a lively album that is slickly pulled together into a 50 minute fusion jam session. Taurus is the best album of Ocote Soul Sounds to date, and hopefully they'll continue along this way (even though it would be interesting to see what they'd do to some Middle Eastern tunes).
Ocote Soul Sounds - Cumbia La Magdalena
Lenny Kravitz - Black And White America
To be honest, this is only here because of tracks Liquid Jesus and Superlove. It's baby-making soul slipping over into the Bee Gees era. Does it sound scary? Might be, but you won't be able to stop humming.
Quality. It's that kind of music that just won't leave you feeling the same way as before you listened to it. It's the music that changes you. It gives you a change of mind, a change of perspective, or a change of mood. It's the artist showing you something, and it's only the best ones that knows how to show you something about yourself.
While 2011 gave us a number of new talents and loved returns, it also took some of the truly best away from us. Posthumous albums have and will follow, but for now, let's just remember two artists that stayed commited to Quality.
Gil Scott-Heron (1949 - 2011)
Gil's rough and gritty voice did not always hit the right notes. Sometimes it cracked a little. Sometimes he didn't even sing, just talked his way through the tracks. It wasn't the smooth and flowing kind of voice that Marvin Gaye or Smokey Robinson made a living off. But it was, without a doubt, one of music's most expressive voices. His voice excuded the kind of pain and anger that you would hear from the records of Nina Simone. You knew that what you were listening to was genuinely Gil, his own feelings, and his own life lessons. Gil was more of a teacher and a poet than a singer, but what he made was music at it's core.
Gil circled themes like racism, alcoholism and drug use with the kind of commitment that only a first hand spectator could have. He had something to tell us. His work told stories of oppression, revolution, and pride. Inspired by Malcolm X and Huey Newton intellectually, and John Coltrane and Billie Holiday musically, Gil mixed art and knowledge in a way that's hard to forget. And mote of us never will forget the poet, the civil rights activist, and the very passionate and human man that was Gil Scott-Heron.
Notable tracks:
Gil Scott-Heron - Home Is Where The Hatred Is
Gil Scott-Heron - The Train From Washington
Amy Winehouse (1983 - 2011)
Somebody else who was familiar with pain was Amy Winehouse. Almost more famous for her abuse of drugs and alcohol than her talents, Amy gave the gossip sites a whole lot to write about. However, the legacy she left behind is so much more than that. It's not the pictures of her disheveld appearance, or Youtube clips of her being too gone to perform. It's the beautiful woman with the classic voice. When other popular female artists sang sugary sweet songs, Amy managed to give her songs a strong injection of personality. Even though the themes might have been similar, other singers just couldn't portray real problems in the same way. An otherwise simple song about problematic relationships became instantly complex in Amy's hands.
In a world of plain and overproduced pop songs, Amy Winehouse's soulfully raspy voice and style reminiscent of the great jazz singers of the past will be missed deeply.
Not all hip hop this year was about the joys of smoking weed or stealing the names of infamous drug dealers. When it comes to hip hop, one of the best gifts you could get is a real Quality concept album. And this year we were lucky; two of hip hop's most talented groups released concept albums, and good ones at that.
The Roots - Undun
In one of the year's most anticipated albums, The Roots give us the tale of a life told backwards. From death to birth, we get to hear some really beautiful hip hop, and not less than four bitter sweet classical instrumental pieces, showing off a more mature Roots than ever. And it doesn't only show in the way they utilize their music to convey emotions or situations, it's in the words of Black Thought too.
"It's only human to express the way you really feel/but that same humanity is my Achille's heel", he raps. In it's core Undun is a very human album, mixing life's highs and lows as seen by ourselves in the middle of it. Sometimes triumphing, sometimes mourning, the group find themselves bragging about greatness and acknowledging their flaws all in the same song. They have made a very good job of showing off life in it's ever changing form, and still keeping it all assembled into an album. This is what makes Undun what might be their best album up 'til now. Sure, it doesn't have the same amount of singles as How I Got Over, which had more songs able to stand out all by themselves. But Undun is so much more of an album. It thrives when listened to in it's entirety, and it's a great listen.
The Roots are at their absolute best on tracks Sleep and Make My. Make My feels like a confession, freeing both the listener and the rapper through regretful musings about life in the face of death. Sleep feels so authentic it's frightening, a haunting reminder of the relationship between sleep and death. All together, the tracks form into one of the most listenable albums of the year.
Notable tracks:
The Roots ft. Big K.R.I.T. - Make My
The Roots ft Aaron Livingston - Sleep
And while we're on the subject of sleep, let's present another one of the best hip hop albums of 2011:
Cunninlynguists - Oneirology
Cunninlynguists have returned to what they do best, concept albums, and it's as good as ever. Last time the group played around with a consistent theme, one of my all time favorite albums saw the light of day (can anybody say A Piece of Strange?).This time around the theme is told by the name of the album, Oneirology (the scientific study of dreams). The album is a dark journey through the innermost parts of our minds, with dreamlike, fragile melodies and poetic raps.
Of course Cunninlynguists couldn't keep themselves from throwing in some critical material against society. And they're doing it in very interesting ways. Hard As They Come sounds like typical hip hop braggadocio at first listen, but a closer look at the lyrics unveils Deacon The Villain, Natti, and Freddie Gibbs portraying the three really most dangerous and harmful characters of society: alcohol, cocaine, and AIDS. There's also the smart Murder, contemplating what would make people accept and approve of killing. This through taking the voices of nationalism, murdering in the way of war, and of course religion, and 'holier' ways of killing.
Although the lyrics are on point, Kno is the one stealing the show with the detailed production. Through his beats he is perfectly embodying the complex dreamstates, especially on tracks such as Embers. And with this, they brought some well needed Quality to thirsting hip hop fans.
Sure, right now it might feel really tempting to trade in that underground backpacker role for the fame and wealth of top 40. But even though it sometimes feels as if more artists than ever succumbed to dancefloor beats and dumbed down lyrics this year (I'm not going to name any names but uh, Common), there have been hopeful spots of light on the dark skies of Quality Music. Some of these lights are pretty new to our ears, but they have proved to bring Quality like real veterans, and so they have all earned a place in our mini series of The Quality That Shaped 2011. Enjoy, and fill those empty playlists.
Gary Clark Jr. - The Bright Lights EP
Sometimes I wonder how a four-track EP can have more substance than most full length albums released the same year. This is definitely the case with Gary's new effort. Only 21 minutes long in full, it's the 21 best minutes you will spend in a while. Gary is Hendrix at his bluesier moments, adding a bitter streak of longing and doubt to some skilled guitarplaying.
The pros of making a short album like this is that there is absolutely no filler tracks, each and every one of the four songs on The Bright Lights EP is worthy it's place. 'You gonna know my name at the end of the night' Gary chants on the rougher Bright Lights, an anthem of rebellion and city life, and he sure is right. But where he truly shines is right in the two thoughtful last tracks. Gary displays a very honest side of soulful blues, and on When My Train Pulls In he is at his height, both when it comes to music and soulsearching.
Notable song:
Gary Clark Jr. - When My Train Pulls In (Live)
Ntjam Rosie - Elle
Now, Rosie has made music before too, but this time she takes her time to show off her vocal talents. The album is comprised of a handful calm and atmospheric songs in English and French. These slower tracks fits Rosie's voice perfectly. She has that kind of voice made to be savoured slowly, preferably in combination with a distinct bassline like on Space of You. Rosie lets her voice twist and turn to the beautifully crafted melodies, often with a touch of classical music meshed with contemporary R&B and jazz. Tracks like In Need are destined to fill relaxing playlists to set the mood during the colder and darker periods of the year.
Notable track:
Ntjam Rosie - Space of You
Michael Kiwanuka - I'm Getting Ready EP
Kiwanuka always sounds as if played on an old, raspy recordplayer, no matter if you're listening on your laptop or your iphone. That kind of voice just can't exist outside of the Motown era of music. Even shorter than the Gary Clark Jr. EP, but Kiwanuka doesn't sound too troubled about that. Over three soulish folk tracks he manages to turn the somewhat melancholic songs into hopeful melodies with his mellow voice. However we get a feeling, especially in the beginning of final track Any Day Will Do Fine, that he might do really good with heavier, more bluestinged surroundings. Seeing this guy evolve musically will be really interesting, but keeping him in his current state doesn't hurt either. With this EP he has been one of the few that truly brought Quality to 2011.
When I'm looking for music to post here, I look for something special tucked inbetween the melodies. It's that feeling that you can't really put your finger on. Still that feeling manages to force your body into movement, stirring up that place in your soul that I believe is reserved not for good, but for great music.
As soon as I heard the first few couple notes of this song, I knew that it would have that feeling.
José James - Trouble
I'm not the only one feeling the jazzy sounds of José James. The slick-voiced singer was recently voted Rising Star Best Vocalist this year by DownBeat Magazine. But then again, how could it possibly go wrong? James is bringing a new layer to modern jazz, scenting it with the soulful rhythms inspired by the likes of hip hop and spoken word. Trouble is a new song surfacing on Youtube from the Allsaints Basement Sessions, a selection of live sessions played by different artists. The song is completely new, and will probably (and hopefully) find it's way onto James's next album. Seems like we can look forward to a new swirl of musical influences, deeply rooted in finger snapping jazz.
UPDATE: I had the chance to interview James at his first show at a New York Jazz Club. You can find my interview, and a review of the show (hint: one of the best I've been to) at The Epoch Times, right here.
