An Evening with Silk Sonic. The Pinnacle of Modern Day Funk and Soulful Love Ballads.
Silk Sonic is the modern-day love child of Motown, funk, and soul music. The band has created an unprecedented album for this day and age, a retro album that captures a nostalgic sound quite like no other. The album is like a time machine that takes you through the 70’s funk and soul to sultry love ballads.
Photo by: Florent Déchard for Rolling Stone
Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak unify to make an album where each track effortlessly flows into each other. Every song exudes .Paak’s and Mars’ musical aptitude and ingenuity. The album starts off with a bang with Silk Sonic Intro. The eclectic and legendary Bootsy Collins provides his blessings with an illusive monologue-like introduction. Silk Sonic Intro transitions into Leave the Door Open, the leading single and love ballad of the album. Leave the Door Open is a testament to Mars’ sultry lyrical and vocal skills, as well as .Paaks ability to deliver witty lyrics. In the third track, …Fly As Me, Anderson dominates with epigrammatic lyrics along with a funky bass line. .Paak sings in the first verse:
“Take you to the crib, we can take it upstairs
"What's upstairs?" Shit, I'ma show you later
Don't need a spatula, everything catered, extra flavor
Go 'head, sprinkle some truffle on your mashed potatoes”
…Fly As Me shows Anderson .Paak’s true ability as a lyricist. This transitions into After Last Night (with Thundercat and Bootsy Collins), the sultriest song of the album. After Last Night is the Calling All My Lovelies (from Bruno Mars’ 24k Magic) of An Evening With Silk Sonic. The song itself is provocative in the best way, it highlights Bruno’s impressive capacity to produce such a sensual and amorous song. Bootsy’s commentary, Thundercat’s bass line, and .Paaks vocals ensure the unconventional funky and sultriness of After Last Night. Smoking Out The Window is a quick-witted and hysterical ballad-like song. The song perfectly balances both Anderson’s and Bruno’s juxtaposing delivery of lyrics and as musical artists. The song starts off:
[Intro: Bootsy Collins]
Wait a minute, this love started out so tender, so sweet
But now she got me smokin' out the window
Mm, mm, mm
[Verse 1: Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak]
Must've spent thirty-five, forty-five thousand up in Tiffany's (Oh no)
Got her badass kids runnin' 'round my whole crib
Like it's Chuck E. Cheese (Woah, woah)”
…Put On A Smile captures Bruno Mars’ classic and quintessential ability to create a moody love ballad. Within …Put On A Smile Anderson diverges from his typical upbeat style and demonstrates his versatility as a vocalist. Transitioning into 777, the highest energy song of the album. The song captures Anderson’s typical style and unites with Bruno’s assertive and dominant vocals. Then we progress to the eighth track, …Skate. …Skate was the second single to be released. It provides a friendly and almost cordial introduction to who Silk Sonic is as a band. The song itself is probably the most unexplicit and family-friendly song of the album, a typical warm summer day song. The album ends with …Blast Off, another sultry and illusive track on the album. The chorus provides pleasant harmonies and vocals. …Blast Off facilitates a grand conclusion for the album. It provides the listener a space to reflect on the majestic and magical work Silk Sonic created.
My only complaint regarding An Evening with Silk Sonic… (and I’m sure many fellow fans agree) is that I only wish there was more.
