The Deal: Michigan-born former DJ trades his turntables in to re-create the R&B, soul and pop magic of Motown on A Strange Arrangement.
The Good: Behind Hawthorne playing all the instruments, the production is spot-on and eerily tows the line of classic reproduction and rip off. It’s amazing to think he only left DJ’n behind a year ago. The songs skillfully update a timeless sound with Hawthorne pushing his kind of “singing around the house” falsetto to its healthy place.
Putting the album up against current soul and R&B, there’s something great about undersexed but loving pop ballads.
The Bad: While Hawthorne has the production side down, no one is going to confuse him with Smokey Robinson. His voice, while earnest enough, comes off more Glee than R&B. The timing of the album’s release is a bit awkward considering the mainstream’s obsession with Amy Winehouse, to a lesser extent Raphael Saadiq and other Motown-sound re-creators has long since passed.
The Verdict: Any album that can be played through, no skips, is an accomplishment. Dope soul album from an ironic but totally capable source. Hawthorne was shooting to be Smokey + Dilla rolled into one, he may just be on to something.
INFO:
Artist: Mayer Hawthorne
Label: Stones Throw
Release Date: October 6. 2009
This article appears in Oct 20-26, 2009.
