Silk Sonic - An Evening With Silk Sonic
Bruno really loves his pastiche, and after hearing just the first few tracks off Anderson's Ventura, it makes perfect sense that the two of them would put together a collaborative project. Mixing the pristine detail and neo-soul aesthetic of that record with the addictive RnB jams of Bruno's 24K Magic, An Evening With Silk Sonic almost seems like an inevitability in retrospect, as did the rapid success of "Leave the Door Open." It's a passionate throwback to an era of music that hasn't gotten a lot of mainstream attention in the past decade or two.
Singles from this kept dropping left and right, to the point where half the album was already out by the time it dropped. Not that I or anyone else was complaining; after all, the singles were all pretty damn good. Regardless, the full record finally came out near the end of 2021, and after giving it a few listens, it's clear that Silk Sonic and company accomplished everything they set out to. Unfortunately for me, I think that their ambitions weren't set all that high for what they wished to accomplish.
The vocal performances are all on point throughout, there's a wonderful cohesion to the instrumentalists, the production manages to be both intimate and larger than life; there's a lot to appreciate. It's just a shame to me that all this skill and talent is in service to really safe soul-RnB sex jams. I know that's a bit of a reductive take, but I can't help but feel like this record just needs to do more. At just over 30 minutes, there's not enough time to do anything all that adventurous, and there just isn't a whole lot of meat to the album. This album is like Toblerone: it's premium, it's sweet, it's a really fun indulgence, but it just leaves me wanting more.
All in all, An Evening With Silk Sonic is a delightful record, and I totally understand why people love this to pieces. It's super easy for me to recommend, even if it didn't end up being something I loved quite as much as the rest of the world.
Track Ratings
Silk Sonic Intro - 70/100
Leave The Door Open - 90/100
Fly As Me - 85/100
After Last Night - 70/100
Smokin Out The Window - 90/100
Put On A Smile - 60/100
777 - 70/100
Skate - 55/100
Blast Off - 60/100
Average Song Score: 72/100tl;dr - the oldheads are gonna tell you it’s basic to like this album, but good music is good music: hop on love’s train babyyyyyyyyyyyy
Original Publication Info:Location: Rate Your MusicTitle: "A sugary sweet (if unambitious) soul record."Rating: 3.5/5 starsDate: 12 December 2021