Soul has made a resurgence, maybe as a more respected term than r’n'b, but often being lumped into what is not good with the genre, parallel with how nu-jazz is often considered, like a banal second cousin of the true sound. This compilation disperses this with its variety, eclectic selection and boundary busting approach to the ‘nu-soul’ compilation.
From the smooth to the cool, this compilation has it all. The soul is all there vocally, that was never in dispute, it is musically that most fall short, but not here. This compilation takes in just about everyting that is good about modern production, from the low slung funk of Tiombe Lockhart, the slung low science of the Flying Lotus-esque fLake & Shaunise, the r’n'b swing of Coulrain, or the dancehall shuffle of JimiJames. Bibal Salaam, Dj Mitsu, OliverDaySoul and Ayah inject a fair dose of hip-hop to their soul, while Nneka infuses some soothing afrobeat to the mix. Each track adds a diversity to what can often be a formulaic genre, breathing life back into soul as a contemporary genre to rival anything in the r’n'b scene.
Wayne Stronell
*
