Neo Soul — All Formats  

The second set for Columbia by evolving R&B great Raphael Saadiq – possibly the best album he's ever done! We were knocked out by the preceding The Way I See It, his neo throwback gem, especially for the way he so masterfully flaunted decades of soul/R&B influences on that album while still giving it a modern and timeless sense of urgency. He takes that superb craftsmanship even deeper on Stone Rollin'! Raphael rolls with raw, punchy rhythm & blues backdrops tricked out with mellotron and other unique twists – with strings and brass on some tunes – all with a tight, hooky accessibility that's so damn catchy! It's so immediately appealing on the surface level, you could roll through this a dozen times before the innovative, impeccable skill really sinks in. Truly brilliant material from one of the best of his generation! He gets some help from Taura Stinson, Amp Fiddler, Wah Wah Watson and other excellent musicians on the sessions, but Raphael handles a heap of the instrumentation himself – and the guests are utilized beautifully. Titles include "Heart Attack", "Go To Hell", "Radio", "Over You", "Stone Rollin'", Movin' Down The Line", "Day Dreams", "Just Don't", "Good Man" and "The Answer".

Get ready to discover a fantastic new soul music talent! Jill Scott's the best thing we've heard in years – and she's a perfect example of the killer NuSoul trends that have been forged in the past few years by artists like D'Angelo, Mshell N'degocello, or N'Dambe (but Jill doesn't have an apostrophe mark in her name!) The record's a totally seductive blend of warm instrumentation, subdued funky beats, and immensely captivating soul vocals. The whole thing's awash in Fender Rhodes, giving it a spacey soul sound that will make the record a classic for years to come! Titles include "The Way", "Do You Remember", "Long Rain", "Love Rain", "Honey Molasses", "Slowly Surely", "Watching Me", and "He Loves Me" – but it's allllll good! The LP includes a remix of "Love Rain" featuring Mos Def!