Soul Sharing

I learned about Raphael Saadiq for the first time this weekend, thanks to the GF's Rhapsody listening. Saadiq's got a new album out, Stone Rollin', continuing in a straight line from his 2008 release The Way I See It by faithfully emulating classic Motown soul down to the orchestrations and studio sound. It's not like I listen to a lot of Motown, but I am way on board with this project. I think music in most genres would be well served by turning back the clock several decades. Saadiq sounds really good doing it.

I think he should have stuck with the cleanly retro album art from '08, but otherwise I give the new thing both of my thumbs up. And, um, although I'm going to feel somewhat white writing this, you can read a good interview with Saadiq from The Guardian, from 2009. The man's experience is a combination of rough childhood and charmed life.