Maxwell - BLACKsummers' night (2009)

Anyone who loves soul and R&B needs to thank Maxwell for coming back in such fine form. I bought his first CD back in 1996, when he had this R&B/soul/acid-jazz vibe that was really sweet. His 1998 follow-up (Embrya) was also very inventive, although it leaned a little too heavily on his rep as a 'slow jam stud'. His largely forgettable 2001 album (Now) continued this trend and seemed formulaic, despite some solid material ('Lifetime') and a left field cover of Kate Bush's 'This Woman's Work'.

On BLACKsummers' night Maxwell sounds reenergized, and this is easily the funkiest album of his career. There's so much about this album that is refreshing. First of all, Maxwell can sing. There's no auto-tune here or studio wizardry on the voice. At the same time, Maxwell doesn't constantly PROVE he can sing by screaming high notes all the way through a song (do you hear me, Mariah and Christina?). Instead, Maxwell lets the emotion bleed out of his voice. The effect is far stronger.

The overall sound of the album is outstanding. Like I said, there's no auto-tuning so his vocals actually sound like a human voice. There's also no pro-tools or compression as far as I can hear. As a result, the album sounds very 'live' and there is a depth in the sound that is just absent in 99% of what is produced in the US today. Instruments simmer in the background, then surge to the forefront. His vocals rise and fall and breath. Percussion and drums interplay and mimic the kind of hip-hop beats that lace most modern R&B, but here the crisp sound makes the rhythm cook in a way very few current soul or R&B tracks ever manage.

The songwriting is also quite varied. For example, there's the balladry of 'Pretty Wings', the searing crescendo of 'Love You', and the horn-infused 'Cold'. None of the tracks are radio-ready singles, and Maxwell must have purposefully avoided verse/chorus structure on this album. Instead he favors a more organic flow to each song. Very interesting approach, and the songs tend to keep growing on you with repeated listens.

The album is not perfect. 'Phoenix Rise' is a throwaway instrumental that has so much potential you have to ding Maxwell for not taking this track further. Still it's fun to listen to even in its current form. Even when BLACKsummers' night doesn't soar, though, it's still interesting to listen to. It never fails in any way.

The fact that Rolling Stone magazine panned this album just proves what a fossil that magazine is. This album and the fact that it debuted at #1 is a beautiful example of what R&B and soul (and by extension the entire American music industry) needs to do. Get away from the emphasis on producers and manufactured 'stars' and get back to talented artists with unique vision who can sing, write, and surround themselves with musicians that make great music. The results speak for themselves.