Soul is back, and I think the world may be better off for it. With the likes of Pharell reviving the nostalgic flare of 70’s funk, Aloe Blacc is following suit with his third album- Lift Your Spirit. It comes as no surprise that Blacc’s third LP has been co-produced by the happy man himself (Pharell Williams) and DJ Khalil. The album does what it says on the tin, Aloe treats us to eleven songs that transport the listener back to a time when music fed the soul, that’s probably why it was called “Soul”. With Aloe previously featuring on a certain top ten track called “Wake Me Up”, produced by the Swedish connoisseur “Avici”. I think you may have heard of it? Many first time Listeners probably have the misconception that Aloe has a similar dance, in the club style to his previous hit. Well the truth is you would be very wrong indeed; instead Aloe has created an album that includes a concoction of R & B, Hip-Hop, Soul, Funk and Folk.
Aloe features his own acoustic version of “Wake Me Up”, which is more Mumford and Sons meets Stevie Wonder than let’s have a rave. Aloe is clearly influenced by the likes of Bill Withers and Stevie Wonder, with songs such as “The Man” and “Lift Your Spirit” having a very similar vibe. Yet this album is not just a Wonder rip-off; it not only gives us a flavour of the funk filled 70’s, but has a more contemporary RnB feel. This is where Aloe has developed in recent years, his previous album; “Good Things” was jammed full of melodic, “grown up” tracks that spoke of recession and depravation, which seemed to be a love letter to Bill Withers himself. This album features songs that mainly uplift rather than deflate, such as “Wanna Be with You” and “The Man” which samples Elton John’s (Your Song) this comes as no surprise as Elton himself co-wrote the track.
These songs have a more mass produced feel to them, but this is understandable as now every 16-24 year old on the planet can probably recognise Aloe’s raspy vibrato. Artists have to cater for the needs of the market, it is business after all. Overall this is where the album dips slightly, as it becomes a mix of melodic funk filled extravaganzas, which are a genuine delight to the ears, to what one would call “OK” songs, such as “Ticking Bomb” and “Eyes of a Child” which seem to fall short of the albums opening tracks, that aren’t exactly lifting your spirit. Lift Your Spirit is an album that may not resemble Aloe’s previous efforts. Yet songs such as “The Man” and “Wanna be With You” do deliver. From the man who definitely no longer needs a dollar, the album reflects touches of Aloe’s old style with all the new bits thrown in, to produce a creative and engaging LP, which is certainly music to the ears.