Tuesday, 03 February 2009
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Written by
Matt Fink
Though it seems to be generally true that most musicians peak creatively in their mid-to-late 20s, settle into their craft in their 30s, become stagnant in their 40s, and fade into irrelevancy shortly thereafter, soul singers are the only exception to the rule. The ultimate stylists, soul singers from Solomon Burke to Candie Payne to Sharon Jones have proven that such artists only gain gravitas and a greater depth of emotion, as if age informs their ability to wring out the desperation and ache essential to their music. But while he has aged exceptionally well, with two solid if unspectacular albums released in the past five years, Al Green has yet to create the album that fully utilizes his range as a performer and vocalist. That is, until Lay It Down.Produced by the Roots’ ?uestlove and James Poyser, Green’s third ...
