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You can’t move for great soul music coming out of the US in 2023. We’ve had the rip-roaring solo debut of Durand Jones on ‘Wait Til I Get Over’, a homage to his Southern roots; Jalen Ngonda’s unique vocals are a hark back to Smokey Robinson’s sweet falsetto during Motown’s heyday; Gabriels have given the genre an enlightening gospel makeover. In their own ways, each proved that soul music still can inspire and ignite in times as troubled as these.
Black Pumas are right up there with the best. The Austin, Texas duo are perhaps the most successful of the bunch, in fact. Their 2019 self-titled debut alerted discerning music fans to an impressive new talent, and their biggest song ‘Colors’ became a viral anthem which drew attention to life’s simple pleasures in divisive times. They toured the world and landed several Grammys nominations in the process, eventually performing virtually at President Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2021.
‘Chronicles of a Diamond’ is a more realised offering to the world and exceeds their debut album, continuing their fusion of rock’n’roll, jazz and hip-hop with soulful vibes. The circumstances and the dynamic between Eric Burton and Adrian Quseada have shifted significantly. The pair met when Burton was a busker and Quesada and a producer in need of a personality and singer to elevate the project – much of ‘Black Pumas’ was recorded and written before Burton had even heard come into the studio.
This time, Burton was encouraged to take a more pronounced part in the album’s creations from the very start. He challenged himself to move beyond his role as a performer into a recording artist, battling his insecurities and doubts to provide a meaningful contribution at every stage. Speaking to NME, he cites ‘Ice Cream (Pay Phone)’, a decade-old song he revisited, as an early win to build confidence, bringing in playful elements – including the twinkling siren call of a van – into his compositions.
But what Black Pumas do better than most is give their true, honest selves to each composition. ‘More Than A Love Song’ is an earth-shaking anthem, as catchy as their first album but with added grit to their glossy production; ‘Mrs Postman’ is a paean to the blue-collar workers that keep the world moving and honest, all atop a jazz-flecked hip-hop beat. ‘Angel’ starts off as an acoustic ditty and moves into lush Beatles territory by the song’s close.
You can’t help but hear Burton’s confidence growing across the album’s running time, his potential still untapped and with room to grow. In this latest soul revival, there’s no denying that Black Pumas are at the forefront and on the prowl for more.
ALBUM REVIEWS
Grandeur sits at the heart of ‘This Music May Contain Hope’, RAYE’s second album, and the result feels nothing short of breathtaking. On this record, the singer born Rachel Keen explores a wide spectrum of sounds across its 73 minute length, moving from emotional ballads to lively funk moments and the jazz pop style she has become closely associated with. It can feel overwhelming at first, yet the magic that comes from RAYE fully committing to her vision makes the experience rewarding from start to finish.
‘This Music May Contain Hope’, a conceptual project about pushing through insecurity and heartbreak, unfolds like a lavish stage production. RAYE takes on the dual role of main character and guiding voice throughout the story. “Allow me to set the scene. Our story begins at 2:27am on a rainy night in Paris. Cue the thunder,” she says during the opening track ‘Girl Under The Grey Cloud’, which arrives with sweeping orchestral strings. Spoken passages appear across the album, helping shape the narrative and giving the project a sense of direction, almost like hearing the official recording of a Broadway show.
With this framework in place, the South London artist allows herself to fully explore the album’s diverse musical palette, and most of the time it works in her favor. Sometimes she fully embraces the theatrical side of the concept, especially during the closing section of the smooth R&B track ‘The WhatsApp Shakespeare’. Other moments are delivered more straightforwardly, such as the emotional slow building ballad ‘I Know You’re Hurting’. She also revisits her earlier dance influences with the impressive house track ‘Life Boat’.
Across the entire album, two things stand out clearly. RAYE’s flexible vocals sound better than ever, and her songwriting feels sharper than it has before. Take the playful highlight ‘I Hate The Way I Look Today’, a swing jazz inspired track reminiscent of Ella Fitzgerald, where she admits “I’m okay to be lonely / If I’m lonely and skinny / I have such silly self-loathing thoughts, it seems”. Then there is the emotional storytelling in ‘Nightingale Lane’: “It was right there, early June / Next to Old Park Avenue / Standing in the rain, I watched him walk away”.
Despite all the vulnerability and emotional struggles explored throughout the record, RAYE ultimately reaches a place of optimism, staying true to the album’s title. She gathers her close friends on ‘Click Clack Symphony’ with support from Hans Zimmer, finds closure with guidance from Al Green on the smooth seventies soul inspired ‘Goodbye Henry’, and reaches toward something greater alongside her sisters Amma and Absolutely on the uplifting ‘Joy’ as she searches to be “free of all the pain and every fear”. After the stormy opening imagery of that “rainy night” and “thunder”, RAYE eventually realizes that “the sun exists behind the clouds”, as she shares on ‘Happier Times Ahead’.
‘This Music May Contain Hope’ shows RAYE performing at her absolute peak. The album feels huge in scale and emotionally powerful, yet it remains rooted in honest experiences and real feelings. Yes, it asks a lot from the listener, but that is also what makes it so special. Every dramatic moment and musical shift feels like RAYE claiming her independence and finally creating music entirely on her own terms.
