Yeah I know this is a bit late, but here's my review of Aloe Blacc's new album Lift Your Spirit.
Aloe Blacc's been around for a while, with his song 'I Need A Dollar' perhaps being his best known song. However, he's been floating around on the sidelines mostly, largely eclipsed by better known R&B/soul artists like John Legend.
That is not to say that Aloe Blacc hasn't made some great stuff though, and Lift Your Spirit is no exception.
How does it sound?
A truly lovely smelting pot of soul and folk; two genres that are heart are definitely kindred spirits, but lead down two different musical roads.
Aloe Blacc has definitely taken inspiration from his work with Avicii (who has recently been making his own unique brand of folk inspired EDM), infusing European folk rhythms and instrumentation into modern R&B/soul. The result is uplifting, entertaining, and generally a great listen.
Best tracks:
- 'The Man' and 'Love Is The Answer'
To be honest, all of the songs are pretty good, but these two are my favourite. 'Eyes of a Child' is a close third.
Worst tracks:
- n/a
I really can't complain about any of the songs on this album. Sure, songs like 'Here Today' are possibly a little bit too sugary-sweet for my liking, but they're not bad songs. Plus, that's the whole feel of this album; unadulterated, pure joy.
Overall: 8/10
This album really is great, and I think it definitely will bring Aloe Blacc flying into the spotlight. A much cleaner, smoother, and generally inventive album than Pharrell Williams' G I R L, I feel that Lift Your Spirit is definitely one of the better records of the year.
Unfortunately, it's not quite amazing enough for me to give above an 8; while it really is pretty faultless, it lacks that special something in both creativeness and shine to bring it up to the dizzying heights of a 9 or 10. That's not to say that Aloe doesn't bring a lot of ideas to the album, it's just more of a variation on a famous meal than a completely new dish.
Definitely worth a listen though.
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