See-ing is believing

We all know what Mr. Saadiq is capable of from his superb cataloque of past exploits. From the new jack greatness of Tony Toni Tone, to the leftfield appeal of Instant Vintage & the smooth delivery of Ray Ray, plus his outstanding list of production credits, questions have never had to be asked about the music that this man delivers. What must be questioned, however, is how the man is going to be able to superseed The Way I See It. To take a sound that is both classic in its style & being redone very well by many an artist is one thing. But to be able to put your own individual stamp on proceedings & take said sound to the kind of level shown throught this album is damn near ridiculous. Getting straight to my new favourite song of the year as a case in point. The gloriously moody Oh Girl is wonderfully elegant, quietly sophisticated & a pounding head nod all rolled into one. Adding to that the bonus remix featuring the Hova himself means that alone is reason enough to get this album. As for the album as whole, the cover photo should give you a clue as to where this album is conceptually. The rich Classic Soul, Funk & Bebop sound is carried throughout. While some of todays Nu albums will take one of the above & make it something great, Raphael has effortlessly dipped his feet into the pools of all 3 & meshes them to clasic effect. The unmistakable voice of the man seems more at home over this type of backdrop than anything else ive heard him over. The guests, although steller, are rightly kept to a minimum. Joss Stone, the aforementioned Jay-Z & especially Stevie Wonder all more than hold their own. I'm struggling to find a negative about this release & thats probably because there is nothing negative to report.

Phenomenal from the 1st note to the last, TWISI is a musical feat of classic proportions. You'd have to be certifiable not to want this in your collection.

p e a c e

Raphael Saadiq - The Way I See It selection