Saadiq brings that new soul

Raphael Saadiq is back with another ‘60s-inspired soul album, “Stone Rollin’”, this time with more blues and funk, faster and having a rougher mix. The album is much more eclectic than his last outing, “The Way I See It” and benefits heavily from it.

Saadiq, a founding member of the ‘90s hit neo-soul act Tony! Toni! Tone! has released four solo LPs since 2002 and “Stone Rollin’” is by far his best. His solo path has slowly shifted toward the retro soul sound he is known for today, even dressing to fit the style of the ‘60s soul group acts.

Opener, “Heart Attack” sets the mood for the album with a heavy guitar line and fast hard drumming in the vein of James Brown, while the next track “Going to Hell” slows it down a bit and has a gospel vibe throughout along with backing choir and soft string arrangements.

The album is also noted for its wide array of instrumentation and mixing styles, and for the fact that Saadiq played many of the instruments himself during the recording process. The album does drop off a bit toward the end, but overall this is a fresh take on the sounds of the past with nodes to many genres and catchy melodies that will stick in your head.

By Tony Fowler