Soul:ID - ‘Sex, Love and Philosophy’
‘Sex, Love and Philosophy’, the creation of Californian-based Soul:ID, is an album whose reputation stands before it. Nominated for countless awards on other shores, the album - whose highlights include a quite breathtaking cover of Spandau Ballet's 'True' - has finally found its way to Great Britain and the wait was truly worthwhile.
At its best a complex, impeccably-produced blend of soul and rhythm and blues, this album encapsulates a quite original sound from four outstanding talents, each of whom implement their skills onto each song with considerable aplomb and matching style. Throughout, the vocals are taking and well delivered, often digressing from the stereotypical roots of their heritage to create a sound quite different from its market rivals.
Beneath those the entire album is held together by a funk-soul beat, one which provides a solidly unspectacular base from which the real message can rise - and rise it does. What separates this album from those that would claim to be similar though is it's outstanding production, courtesy in the main of band member Urban Deep whose skills are shown in their finest glory on 'My Philosophy' and the standout 'True'.
Often in this genre artists are ranked by their ability to get people tapping their foot or indeed shaking them, but where Soul:ID differ is their ability to do so without over-simplifying and compromising their influences and the originality they help shape - this album offers some superb examples of writing about wider issues without nullifying their significance, an album whose central message is one of racial progression and the defiance of Africans.
It is hard to find examples of where competitors better or even match this work - there are many who get the rhythm right, some who find the blues - but nobody does soul like Soul:ID.
9/10.
Review by Ben Coley
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Reply #1 on : Thu July 14, 2011, 02:00:58