Myron & E with The Soul Investigators - Broadway
image Review:
There is a wide gap between music that you can label as timeless verses retro, and itΓÇÖs not always easy to spot which is which. But when it comes to Stones Throw-signed duo Myron & E, all it takes is one listen to their full-length debut, Broadway, and you immediately know their aim. These two are relentlessly passionate about classic soul and R&B, and you can hear it at the core of their songwriting. ThereΓÇÖs no pretense, fraudulence, or tongue-in-cheek irony; Myron Glasper and Eric ΓÇ£EΓÇ¥ Cooke are just two (very talented) guys from Los Angeles and Newark, N.J., respectively, who want to make music similar to that of their heroes. And by all accounts, theyΓÇÖve done it.
On Stones ThrowΓÇÖs artist site for the duo, thereΓÇÖs a quote from E in which he speaks highly of his backing band, European seven-piece the Soul Investigators. ΓÇ£I donΓÇÖt really think thereΓÇÖs anybody else that can do it as good as they can,ΓÇ¥ he said, adding: ΓÇ£They do it like none other.ΓÇ¥ That might seem like your typical artist-singing-high-praises-because-of-course-he-is, but the Soul Investigators really earned their name here. While it would be easy to simply shower them with praise for their tight playing and fantastic arrangements, itΓÇÖs even more notable that they wrote many of their compositions through actual investigating. E apparently made it a common practice to send YouTube links of his favorite soul and R&B tunes of yore to the band for inspiration. ItΓÇÖs safe to say that his method worked.
ΓÇ£Cold GameΓÇ¥ is an instant standout, and its success goes beyond the sharp songwriting of Myron & E and their harmonizing. The funky cut, which previously appeared on a limited 45 single, is where the Soul Investigators are just straight showing off. Everything you want to hear in a track like this ΓÇö brass, well-placed strings, caffeinated drums ΓÇö hits you with an outright infectiousness. Then the organ solo melts your face and youΓÇÖre left picking your jaw off the floor before the vocals return. ItΓÇÖs funk-infused soul done right and, more importantly, done well without sacrificing a damn thing.
The same can be said for ΓÇ£Turn BackΓÇ¥, which opens the album with a world-weary look at society and life as a whole. The main message through is that Myron & E want to make things right before itΓÇÖs too late and while that might read as corny, the way itΓÇÖs delivered is what makes it work. Additionally, the backing of melancholic strings and guitars makes it seem like youΓÇÖre hearing the final words of a wise man. Similarly, closer ΓÇ£They DonΓÇÖt KnowΓÇ¥ strikes you with its contemplative tone. The duo shares words of hope that people all over the world, not just in your hood or your town, will come together to make this ΓÇ£thingΓÇ¥ work. That ΓÇ£thing,ΓÇ¥ of course, can be interpreted subjectively, but the WhatΓÇÖs Going On atmosphere makes it feel like a ΓÇ£we need to do better!ΓÇ¥ battle-cry delivered with a whisper. ItΓÇÖs forceful without shoving anything down your throat. And itΓÇÖs an approach to which more singers should aspire.
Elsewhere, Myron & E and the Soul Investigators take a dip into psychedelic soul with ΓÇ£Back N ForthΓÇ¥ while ΓÇ£Do It Do It DiscoΓÇ¥ is straight-up dance floor goodness without the glossy, coked-out sound of the ΓÇÖ70s and early ΓÇÖ80s. Cuts like this are both inspiring and pure ear-candy, because they provide a strong dose of variety without failing to maintain the cohesive nature of Broadway. ItΓÇÖs true that the majority of the album is on that love-centric tipΓÇösee the unstoppable run from ΓÇ£If I Gave You My LoveΓÇ¥ to ΓÇ£Cold GameΓÇ¥ΓÇöbut Myron & E shine equally as bright when theyΓÇÖre venturing into other territory. This is, above all else, the mark of truly refined songwriting, as is the fact that you will not be able to get many of the hooks and melodies out of your head. Embrace it, because hopefully this is just the beginning of lasting relationship between Myron & E, the Soul Investigators, and Stones Throw. I give it 4 out of 5.
Review by Andrew Martin
Tracklist:
01. Turn Back
02. Broadway
03. If I Gave You My Love
04. Everyday Love
05. I Can't Let You Get Away
06. Cold Game
07. Do It Do It Disco
08. Back N Forth
09. Going In Circles
10. They Don't Know
Summary:
Country: USA
Genre: Soul, R&B
Quality: 320 kbps