The male voice is something that has been missing from the soul scene recently. From the shelving of Maxwell’s latest LP to D’Angelo’s exasperating absence, the genre has been starving for a stalwart in the game to step in the arena and give some balance to the force. Musiq’s last effort left a little bit to be desired and despite the strength of Anthony Hamilton’s latest release, it is, nevertheless, a collection of unreleased tracks —hardly the concentrated, deliberate effort needed to make things right. Enter stage …Left - Eric Roberson, the hardest working man in soul music.
Roberson has written for all of your favorites: Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild, Dwele and Vivian Green. All have Roberson’s name traipsed throughout their liner notes. On …Left, Roberson showcases the universal and accessible writing that has made us fall in love with the artists for whom he pens in his own music. On many songs he sounds like an emcee that sings. You don’t want to compare anyone to R. Kelly, but Eric’s lyrics are just as infectious and addictive without being sordid. Phonte, of Little Brother fame, delivers a serviceable and extemporaneous verse on “Been In Love”. Erro states in the liner notes: “He [Phonte] had a conversation with my Pop while we were setting up, and that became the first 2 lines in his rhyme.” It works but the jury is still out on whether or not it stands up to Roberson’s self-admitted freestyling of “Too Soon…” brilliance.
The production throughout the album is especially melodic, acoustic and even, though, at times, it can come across as light and wispy. One standout beat that counters the rest is the Kev Brown-produced “Pen Just Cries Away”. This is an early sonic highlight on the album that features Kev’s signature thick bass line which supports a floating guitar and distant flute under Roberson’s classic call-and-response style and layered vocals. A lot of the subsequent tracks on the album, however, contain the aforementioned levity. From the lazy strings on “Right Or Wrong” to the breezy walking bass line on “The Baby Song”, …Left can sound like a selection of music for newlyweds or the soundtrack to a courtship in its nascent stages.
This is not to say that there aren’t edgy cuts on the album. The album is book ended by creative virtuosity. The Latin-infused opener, “Music”, is a great leadoff and “Evening” is the best #2 since Larry Johnson. The album’s closer, “Couldn’t Hear Her”, (a revisit of the popular “Couldn’t Hear Me” from The Vault 1.5) features one of the great electric guitar solos of this century by Franklin Bridge’s own Curt Chambers. It’s an apt closer as Chambers’ wails evoke the image of credits rolling. We’re also blessed with a bonus track called “Man Who Had It All” featuring a band called The Smoke Signals. Is hard rock-soul the next direction Roberson will take? For our sake, let’s hope so. He sounds ridiculously comfortable in the genre.
As a product, …Left is a bona fide winner of an album from the soul music’s underground golden child. Roberson delivers on this effort in every sense of the word. While the album seems a bit safe musically, Roberson’s accessible and engaging lyrics make you think that he made the album about you and all of your emotional triumphs and foibles. For a soul singer to connect with a listener on a level like that is what the appeal of the genre was supposed to be in the first place.
