On their new album, Langhorne Slim and the Law manage to capture some of the raucousness of their live show in a more polished, thoughtful package than their previous album, The Way We Move. Fittingly, the track begins and ends with a Lee “Scratch” Perry sample that states, “I am the only man that can cure the world by speaking words.” Gab remains my favorite MC, and it was a treat to hear from him again this year. On this track, he compares the positive and negative connotations of blackness, broadly writ, insisting that he is both “darker than the random check of passengers” and “blacker than the President/well, half of him.” Chief Xcel’s production provides a nicely insistent syncopated underpinning, and his work really shines elsewhere on the album ( “The Blowup” and others). It’s a theme he’s addressed before (“Shallow Days,” off Nia leaps to mind), but he shows on “Blacka” that he’s lost none of his creativity. Sorry about that.Īlthough Blackalicious’ first album in ten years wasn’t meant to be a sweeping look at the state of American Blackness in the same way that Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly or D’Angelo’s Messiah was, Gift of Gab still makes his own statement of solidarity on this track. *You’ll have to imagine this one, because it’s not on Spotify. This should probably be the next single from 25, so liking this song may partly be a self-defense mechanism-because soon no one will be able to escape it. I, however, prefer to think of this song as Adele’s own take on Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain.” Like that song, “Send My Love” starts with a syncopated, funky hook, and builds to a great anthemic chorus with excellent sing-along potential. As many other critics have pointed out, another act that commands the same mass appeal is Taylor Swift, so it’s no surprise that Adele’s co-writers and producers on this track (Max Martin and Shellback), have penned a bunch of hits for Swift, including “I Knew You Were Trouble.” She’s (Adele, not your mom) not the most musically inventive in the world, but Adele enjoys a sort of fan consensus not available to many musical acts these days. Is anyone immune to Adele? She’s for sure your mom’s favorite, and you can’t blame her. Send My Love (To Your New Lover), Adele*.*For the three or four people who just sniffed at my “error,” rest assured I realize Sam and Dave recorded most of their big hits for Stax, not Motown. Again, this hints at Rateliff’s depth as a songwriter, and I think will mean that the band weathers the incoming Soul Storm 2016 (of which more next week). Lyrically, Rateliff is really cornering the market on catchy tunes with emotionally ambiguous lyrics, and it’s difficult to say if this song’s protagonist is happy with where he is. Rateliff’s vocal is less frantic than in “S.O.B.,” but that actually allows his voice’s character to shine through better. It reminds me of “Soothe Me,” by Sam and Dave, and as a result I dance like a bad Motown* backup singer whenever this song comes on. It’s a mid-tempo track, but it swings hard on the back of an uncluttered piano figure and some great handclaps. I’ve Been Failing, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night SweatsĪlthough it can’t touch “S.O.B” for sheer popularity, this is probably the second strongest cut on the album.And thank God, because we need them here. “Don’t Wanna Fight” is a great example-the whole track is drenched in spectral, haunting echo, but Howard’s painful squeal at the beginning of the song reminds you that however ethereal the band may get, they’ll remain grounded in the world of flesh and blood. They tastefully updated their neo-soul sound without straying too far from the power of Brittany Howard’s voice or the solid grounding of the band’s rhythm section. But according to almost everyone, Alabama Shakes did it. Don’t Wanna Fight No More, Alabama Shakesįour out of five dentists agree: the second album is tough to crush.You can find that at the bottom of the page. This year, rather than the typical YouTube links, I’ve made a Spotify Playlist of these songs. We’ll be back next week with the final five, so don’t touch that dial. All of these songs are 100% grass-fed, organic, Grade A rock & roll. What follows is the first batch of new music that I loved this year.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year: the deluge of year-end “Best Of” lists is upon us, and Vintage Voltage is no different.

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