For anybody enjoying the #SilkSonic album, here’s a thread of other recent retro soul/funk/pop albums from the last 10-15 years that are on a similar wavelength and equally fantastic.
Maybe you find something you like here. And drop some of your favorites in the replies!
Maybe you find something you like here. And drop some of your favorites in the replies!
Mayer Hawthorne - Where Does This Door Go
An impossibly catchy and well produced album. Kind of like Steely Dan/Hall & Oates meets The Isley Brothers. One of my favorites. Also has a killer Kendrick feature everybody seems to forget about.
An impossibly catchy and well produced album. Kind of like Steely Dan/Hall & Oates meets The Isley Brothers. One of my favorites. Also has a killer Kendrick feature everybody seems to forget about.
Leon Bridges - Good Thing
Almost a modern day Otis Redding or Al Green. Contemporary neo-soul that is so melodic, lush, and well written that it effortlessly skates into pop territory. Charming and tender throughout.
Almost a modern day Otis Redding or Al Green. Contemporary neo-soul that is so melodic, lush, and well written that it effortlessly skates into pop territory. Charming and tender throughout.
Lady Wray - Queen Alone
Formerly Nicole Wray (of “Make It Hot” fame), Lady Wray delivers an old/school sounding soul album with funky drum breaks and upbeat instrumentation throughout. Her raspy, tender vocals are a standout.
Formerly Nicole Wray (of “Make It Hot” fame), Lady Wray delivers an old/school sounding soul album with funky drum breaks and upbeat instrumentation throughout. Her raspy, tender vocals are a standout.
Mac Ayres - Drive Slow
Laidback and groovy, with a lot of hip hop influence. Reminiscent of Voodoo-era D’Angelo or Mama’s Gun-era Badu. Mac’s ultra smooth voice and chilled out songwriting keeps me coming back to this LP.
Laidback and groovy, with a lot of hip hop influence. Reminiscent of Voodoo-era D’Angelo or Mama’s Gun-era Badu. Mac’s ultra smooth voice and chilled out songwriting keeps me coming back to this LP.
Charles Bradley - No Time For Dreaming
Bradley released this in 2011 at 62 years old. Backed brilliantly by brassy jams from the Menahan Street Band, he sounds like a mix of James Brown and Sly Stone. Love, pain, joy, heartache, it’s all here.
Bradley released this in 2011 at 62 years old. Backed brilliantly by brassy jams from the Menahan Street Band, he sounds like a mix of James Brown and Sly Stone. Love, pain, joy, heartache, it’s all here.
Durand Jones & The Indications - Self-Titled
A mix of sensual, emotional jams and upbeat, feel good music that will get everybody up out their seats at a BBQ or a wedding. Revivalist and classic sounding, with an accessible modern groove.
A mix of sensual, emotional jams and upbeat, feel good music that will get everybody up out their seats at a BBQ or a wedding. Revivalist and classic sounding, with an accessible modern groove.
Mamas Gun - Golden Days
More towards the pop/soul end of the spectrum, but “pop” doesn’t have to be a negative of course. In this case, it means extremely well crafted, melodic, & memorable songs that draw from a ton of different soulful influences. Can’t stop playing this one!
More towards the pop/soul end of the spectrum, but “pop” doesn’t have to be a negative of course. In this case, it means extremely well crafted, melodic, & memorable songs that draw from a ton of different soulful influences. Can’t stop playing this one!
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights
The most old-school, retro sounding LP on this list. As Noel Murray put it, the songs here “don’t just sound like they’ve been lost in the Stax vault for 40 yrs , they sound like they’ve developed new flavors in isolation.”
The most old-school, retro sounding LP on this list. As Noel Murray put it, the songs here “don’t just sound like they’ve been lost in the Stax vault for 40 yrs , they sound like they’ve developed new flavors in isolation.”
Curtis Harding - Face Your Fear
Reminds me of Al Green, with a little bit of early John Legend maybe. More simply arranged and produced (without as much gloss) as some of the others here. But every bit as harmonious and joyous.
Reminds me of Al Green, with a little bit of early John Legend maybe. More simply arranged and produced (without as much gloss) as some of the others here. But every bit as harmonious and joyous.
Miguel - Kaleidoscope Dream
My favorite Miguel album. Adventurous, funky, thrilling, pulsating. It’s not all that retro-revivalist and only leans on its pop sensibilities here and there, but it’s a tour de force in so many ways.
My favorite Miguel album. Adventurous, funky, thrilling, pulsating. It’s not all that retro-revivalist and only leans on its pop sensibilities here and there, but it’s a tour de force in so many ways.
I’ve got a handful more to add but I’ll get to that later.
Lemme know if you check any of these out for the first time, and what you think. In between Silk Sonic listens, obviously.
Lemme know if you check any of these out for the first time, and what you think. In between Silk Sonic listens, obviously.
Raphael Saadiq - The Way I See It
I think this my favorite Saadiq album (but like all of the other artists in this thread, his entire catalogue is great). Vintage, feel good tunes that sound straight outta Motown. Some great collage on this one too (Joss Stone, Stevie, Jigga).
I think this my favorite Saadiq album (but like all of the other artists in this thread, his entire catalogue is great). Vintage, feel good tunes that sound straight outta Motown. Some great collage on this one too (Joss Stone, Stevie, Jigga).
Michael Kiwanuka - Love & Hate
Blues and folk infused soul meets Danger Mouse production, and the result is an expansive, alternatively melancholy and exuberant album that showcases Kiwanuka’s expressive and mournful singing voice. Not a “fun” listen, but a worthwhile one.
Blues and folk infused soul meets Danger Mouse production, and the result is an expansive, alternatively melancholy and exuberant album that showcases Kiwanuka’s expressive and mournful singing voice. Not a “fun” listen, but a worthwhile one.
Jamie Lidell - Jim
Carefree, tap-dance-in-your-living-room soul music. A crowd pleasing album that’s perfect for a Sunday morning. The arrangements are the perfect marriage of soul and pop, and Lidell’s vocals mesh perfectly.
Carefree, tap-dance-in-your-living-room soul music. A crowd pleasing album that’s perfect for a Sunday morning. The arrangements are the perfect marriage of soul and pop, and Lidell’s vocals mesh perfectly.
Aloe Blacc - Good Things
Vibrant, everyman soul from Aloe Blacc, who evokes Donny Hathaway and Bill Withers over groovy breaks and instrumentation. “I Need A Dollar” blew up for a reason, and the whole album is just as fresh and funky.
Vibrant, everyman soul from Aloe Blacc, who evokes Donny Hathaway and Bill Withers over groovy breaks and instrumentation. “I Need A Dollar” blew up for a reason, and the whole album is just as fresh and funky.
Justin Timberlake - The 20/20 Experience
I see you smirking, but this is a great album! Much more than a simple pop record, it’s an ambitious and complex ode to the 70s and 80s soul/pop music that people like Stevie, MJ, and Marvin made. Polished, bubblegum soul.
I see you smirking, but this is a great album! Much more than a simple pop record, it’s an ambitious and complex ode to the 70s and 80s soul/pop music that people like Stevie, MJ, and Marvin made. Polished, bubblegum soul.
*collabs, not collage
Lee Fields & The Expressions - My World
Can’t believe I forgot this one until now. This LP is heavy on funky strings and horns arrangements from the INCREDIBLE band (imagine the Delfonics, with some hip hop). Fields sounds a bit like a grittier Bobby Womack. Wonderful stuff here
Can’t believe I forgot this one until now. This LP is heavy on funky strings and horns arrangements from the INCREDIBLE band (imagine the Delfonics, with some hip hop). Fields sounds a bit like a grittier Bobby Womack. Wonderful stuff here
Black Pumas - Black Pumas
Towards the psychedelic-soul end of the spectrum, but with a mix of boom bap, funky guitar riffs, and Baby Huey style crooning. Not exactly a pop sounding record, but it did get a surprise Grammy nom and is compulsively listenable.
Towards the psychedelic-soul end of the spectrum, but with a mix of boom bap, funky guitar riffs, and Baby Huey style crooning. Not exactly a pop sounding record, but it did get a surprise Grammy nom and is compulsively listenable.
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