*UPDATED 9/26/17*: Following the passing of Charles Bradley, we look back at his most recent masterpiece, Changes, which came out in June of 2016.
For his third album, Changes, Charles Bradley continued on the vintage soul path of previous efforts, but with some exciting updates to his presentation. Moving away from a focus on his hard-luck past, and infusing uplifting, positive messages of love amid the haunting memories, Bradley and his Daptone Records brethren open up new doors in storytelling, melody and rhythms alike.
Discovered while fronting a James Brown tribute band (as Black Velvet) nearly seven years ago, Bradley joined the Daptone fold and began recording and touring with the amazing Menahan Street Band. His third album really capitalizes on this long-time collaboration, as they have become excellent songwriting partners that do not solely focus on the mining glories from stories past, but instead are burrowing upward and onward with a vision for what’s happening, what’s coming next, what is new, and what is hip.
The title track, a cover of the timeless Black Sabbath ballad, was offered as a Record Store Day single a few years back; next week it will spearhead the first album of new Charles Bradley material since 2013. The recording still sounds very analog, but there is a modern twist to the material too. Chronicles of despair from the singer remain his calling card, but one can behold a beam of light shining through the voice and emotions of “The Screaming Eagle of Soul.”
Changes finds Bradley singing from within his longing, but is no longer nostalgic for days of yesteryear. He gives his phrases resonance and conviction; and allows his brand of soul music to transcend style and period, in exchange for re-imagining life’s twists and turns with newfound clarity. The murky “Ain’t Gonna Give it Up” shows just how far Menahan and Bradley have traveled to get where they are today. The spiritually moving “Ain’t it a Sin” is among the most compelling songs the Screaming Eagle has ever delivered.
Bradley has developed into a singer with focus and authority, the song showcasing his voice and authenticity. Several tunes find Bradley telling tales of a difficult road, but also the hope toward what may come next, be it love, light, smiles, or even just satisfaction: “Good to Be Back Home” celebrates a return to the US, after a grueling, if invigorating tour. The singer shows more range, more drama, and a diverse palette of timings and accents to unveil spirituality, positivity, depravity and desperation from his lyrics and emphatic delivery.
More often than not, Changes pumps blood fused with an energy culled from the here and now, arriving at a conceptually interesting middle ground. It is a choice medium for this singer, one who is clearly energized and determined to make good on the promise he made to himself some years earlier. Bradley’s voice, his story, and the Changes he made in his now promising life are apparent on this record, and onstage too. Charles Bradley seizes the day, and transcends the limits of the vintage soul genre, blazing a new path, yet remaining rich in thrilling tradition.
Listen to Changes below: