At this
point, many people may think that American soul singer Aloe Blacc has popped up
out of nowhere. However, Aloe Blacc, or otherwise known as Egbert Dawkins III, has
been on music’s radar for the last few years starting with his debut effort Shine Through and his sophomore album Good Things. Most notably, he’s been
riding a stream of success for his vocal appearance on Avicii’s worldwide smash
“Wake Me Up” from last summer, even though his voice went unaccredited. Not too
long after that, his chart-topping track, “The Man,” was released with newly
joined record label Interscope Records to critical acclaim and convincingly
started gaining the mainstream attention he’s been after. Along with his
upcoming tour opening for pop/R&B superstar Bruno Mars, which makes a stop here
in Buffalo on June 30th at the First Niagara Center, Aloe Blacc finally has the
chance to help match his name with his songs for a nationwide audience who
might currently find him unrecognizable.
One may
mistakenly take Blacc’s opening to “The Man” to simply just be a cover of Elton
John’s hit “Your Song” as he sings, “Well you can tell everybody, yeah you can
tell everybody,” before Blacc abruptly interrupts the brief recognition of
John’s classic to say “I’m the man.” What follows is a peppy hip-hop beat that
manages to carry a soulful production value lending to the tracks viability as
a cross-genre hit just like his soon-to-be tour mate Bruno Mar’s unique sound
blend. The lyrics also make it a sure fire hit since they work to inspire the
listeners through Blacc’s personal, self-proclaimed experiences of standing
strong during tough times.
Keeping
on point with his largest hit to date yet also his most unrecognized song as a
vocalist, “Wake Me Up” is on Lift Your
Spirit except this time around, Blacc decidedly chose to go with a more
folk-centered, slothful style to the EDM jam. Following speed is “Ticking
Bomb,” a warning call for a fast approaching dystopian future that compliments well
from the adjacent, slow beats and swaying vocal tone. Album closer “Eyes of a
Child” showcases exactly the reason why Blacc deserves his mainstream success by
his ability to hold lengthy, dynamic notes without a hitch.
Just when
you thought you’ve seen all the sides to Pharrell upon the release of his
sophomore album last week, he comes back again to produce Blacc’s retro-soul
track “Love is the Answer.” This song stands out as one of the album's strongest, single worthy contenders due to its infectious, melodic groove and gripping
soul drenched vocals, and a Pharrell backing definitely won’t hurt the songs
marketability. Almost equally entertaining is the blazing falsettos on “Red
Velvet Seat,” a song rooted in classic romanticism with lingering words of “In
my red velvet seat you can sit next to me. Got a bouquet of lilies, and daises,
and roses.”
Across
the board Lift Your Spirit is a very
diverse, however, a not too cohesive collection of songs that somehow just
works. It maintains much of Aloe Blacc’s previous stylistic elements in a more
polished, defined setting that aim to make a lasting impression onto multiple
genres. By making his music true to form
with socially conscious lyrics and pleasantly soothing beats in such a way that
it’s popular to the masses, he actually has a chance at grasping the attention
of a worldwide audience.
Grade: B+
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