It’s not just the ladies revisiting the ’60s Motown sound- move over Duffy, Estelle, Adele, Gabriella & Co… the boys wanna have their say too; and they come no better then this. The former Lucy Pearl and Tony! Toni! Toné! front man’s fourth solo album, ‘The Way I See It’, is full of organic soul ingredients and guest aplenty including collaborations with Stevie Wonder and Joss Stone. Saadiq even sounds uncannily like Smokey Robinson singing an old Temptations standard on the forthcoming single, ‘Love That Girl’; ditto ‘100 Yard Dash’ with echoes of ‘Going To A Go-Go’. On the ‘Big Easy’ and ‘Staying In Love’ the drums bang to a brighter beat with Stax, Chi-town and Philly’s melting pot of styles seamlessly spliced into one. The album’s inspiration was indeed intentional. “I was cooling out and surfing in Costa Rica and The Bahamas,” recounts the singer, “and ran into people from all kinds of places. I noticed everybody was listening to classic soul music. When I came back home the music for this album flowed organically, naturally.” The three Grammy Award nominations merely underscore that this is essential listening.
5 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Lewis Dene
