Raphael Saadiq Sweetens Your Pain

Negative John Legend and sorry Anthony Hamilton devotees, but the best Soul music revivalist of the last 20 years is Raphael Saadiq. Tony Toni Tone have been gone for years, but he's been absent too long, which is why The Way I See It comes as a relief in this age of male melisma. You might not think that what Saadiq does on this album is anything new. Updating 60's Soul for the 00's, but Saadiq manages to make the Motown meets Curtis Mayfield sound seem new thanks to a couple of political updates. Look, if you miss the sound of Sweet Soul music, I'm with you, but at least Saadiq sweetens your pain.