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4 out of 5 stars

Aloe Blacc, All Love Everything [Photo Credit: BMG Rights Management]After a six-year hiatus, Aloe Blacc makes a strong comeback with the soulful, uplifting โ€œMy Way,โ€ the promo single from All Love Everything. ย 

โ€œGo ahead and tell everybody / Iโ€™m the man, Iโ€™m the man, Iโ€™m the man.โ€ Yes, back in 2014, Aloe Blacc was indeed, โ€œThe Man,โ€ an epic, inescapable, soulful pop/R&B record.ย  It was the crowning achievement of Lift Your Spirit, but the album had no shortage of highlights.ย  Since then, Blacc has kept a low profile, quietly releasing a Christmas album, Christmas Funk in 2018 and reissuing it in 2019.ย  Otherwise, one had to wonder, where is โ€œThe Manโ€ at? Thankfully, this talented musician is back in 2020 with All Love Everything, led by the marvelous single, โ€œMy Way.โ€

ย 

If you were all-in on โ€œThe Manโ€ in 2014, well, youโ€™ll feel the same about โ€œMy Way.โ€ Why? Well, the formula โ€“ the sound and vibe โ€“ are very similar.ย  First and foremost, Aloe Blacc sounds absolutely amazing.ย  Yes, itโ€™s been six years since a proper studio album arrived, but his voice is as elite, polished, smooth, and soulful as ever.ย  Next, the production manages to brilliant fuse pop, contemporary R&B, and soul.ย  Thereโ€™s a โ€˜classicismโ€™ about โ€œMy Way,โ€ yet it never sounds anachronistic either.ย  And the third component that makes โ€œMy Wayโ€ a bop-and-a-half? The songwriting! No, itโ€™s not the greatest song thatโ€™s ever been written โ€“ Iโ€™m not saying that โ€“ but, itโ€™s relatable, simple yet thoughtful, and the chorus is catchy and uplifting:

โ€œI can make it through this
You can throw the world in my face
But the fear gives me life
And I swear โ€˜til I die
Iโ€™m gonna do it my way
Aye-aye, aye-aye, aye-aye-ayeโ€ฆโ€

Final Thoughts

So, all in all, Aloe Blacc makes a strong AF comeback with โ€œMy Way.โ€ Perhaps had he released a song in the mold of โ€œMy Wayโ€ shortly after releasing โ€œThe Man,โ€ it wouldnโ€™t feel as โ€˜golden.โ€™ For me personally, after being so taken by this manโ€™s pipes, Iโ€™m geeked to hear that heโ€™s back and sounding great.

4 out of 5 stars


Aloe Blacc โ€ขย All Love Everything โ€ข BMG Rights Management โ€ขย Release: 10.2.20

Photo Credit: BMG Rights Management


 

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the musical hype

the musical hype aka Brent Faulkner has earned Bachelor and Masters degrees in music (music Education, music theory/composition respectively). A multi-instrumentalist, he plays piano, trombone, and organ among numerous other instruments. He's a certified music educator, composer, and a freelance music journalist. Faulkner cites music and writing as two of the most important parts of his life. Notably, he's blessed with a great ear, possessing perfect pitch.

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