by Charles Bradley
Charles BradleyChanges (PBS feature record)
The Sceaming Eagle has returned! The third album by Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires is every thing you want and more from this outfit. Charles' rasping vocals perfectly deliver his personal and heartfelt lyrics while Tommy "TNT" Brenneck (writer and producer) and the Extraordinaires give us a soundscape that harks back to tracks from impossibly obscure soul 45's pressed in the early 70's. Add to this the return of Straten Island's Sha La Das with their doo-wop tinged harmonies, the beautiful Muscle Shoals style horns and the addition of swirling organ and flute flourishes the album "Changes" is a future classic.
Charles is straight outta the gates wearing his pride on his sleeve declaring his love for his country with "God bless America" and "Good to be home". "Nobody but you" gives us Charles the lover in a mid tempo stroll with a cheeky nod from the horn section to the yacht rock classic; Summer Breeze.
The title track is a masterful reworking of the Black Sabbath track "Changes". This is a signature move by Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires; taking a classic song from another genre, making it their own and once again they nail it.
"Things you do for love" is Charles & the band right there in the sweet spot, the Sha La Das' add perfect harmonies and backing vocals and this cut is oh so catchy."Crazy for your love" was an instant hit for me, I'll be honest, I played it 3 times in a row! With "Change for the world" Mr Bradley delivers a strong social conscience message and is one of the real highlights of this LP.
The 2nd album "Victim of Love" saw a new and more unique style from the band, "Changes" continues to hone the Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires sound with the Extraordinaires always in the pocket and Charles Bradley, The Screaming Eagle who's voice juxtaposes strength and fragility so beautifully as he gives it to us straight up and with such honesty it sometimes seems too personal and that you are perhaps eves-dropping. The bond between Tommy "TNT"Brenneck and Charles Bradley is tight and it comes through in the music they make. Simply put, this record is gonna make you feel good so get it on the turntable.
By Miss Goldie – Boss Action
Parquet Courts Human Performance (Featured on The Breakfast Spread)
Parquet Courts are exciting because they are unpredictable. This is largely because they're not afraid to explore different musical horizons, as they showed with last year’s divisive EP ‘Monastic Living’ which was recorded at the same time as this follow up, Human Performance. Human Performance is unmistakably a Parquet Courts album, but the sheer variety on the musical palette here is a splendid showcase of their talent as musicians. The opener ‘Dust’ is an catchy builder with a solid groove, while ‘Berlin Got Blurry’ sounds like it’s straight out of a spaghetti western movie. Then there’s everything in between. Lyrically however, you could argue there’s an underlying theme of isolation or disconnection, with ‘Berlin Got Blurry’ and ‘One Man, No City.’ This album is the result of experimentation coming together, hard work and raw talent. I’ve been listening to Human Performance non-stop for a week and it’s seriously rich. Even still, I think we’ve got a lot more to hear from this band in the future.
By Cat – The Breakfast Spread
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