Tom Talks #17: Silk Sonic-An Evening With Silk Sonic (A Silky Throwback, But Not Quite As Slick As It Could Have Been!)

 

Hi folks and welcome back to Tom Talks! It's been a while since I have done a blog, so we'll get straight into this discussion of the debut project from Silk Sonic. 'An Evening With Silk Sonic,' is the debut collaboration from Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, which was first teased back in March, but is now finally here to dissect.

Mr. Mars hasn't released a project for five years, with this album continuing his transition from his Pop roots on 'Doo-Wops & Hooligans' to the more soulful and Funk vibes that we saw on '24K Magic.' Anderson meanwhile has been a bit more consistent with his release's, having given us 4 LP's between 2015 and 2019, with 'Oxnard' and 'Ventura' continuing his more tranquil and soulful direction in Rap.

Overall, I have preferred the output of .Paak over Mars, but both artists are no stranger to more melodic and funky music and I had high hopes for this duo, who are joined by Bootsy Collins, taking on a host role that is familiar to what DJ's do on Hip-Hop records. (similar in vein to DJ Drama on the new Tyler, The Creator release.) Collins introduces the project on 'Silk Sonic Intro,' setting the scene of a late night Blues club and how this album is going to sound.

The LP truly kicks off in style with 'Leave The Door Open,' which was the lead single. The subtle drum licks and lightly strummed guitars alongside the piano, makes for a soulful and smooth vibe, as Bruno and Anderson recount their efforts to seduce a woman. The vocals are on point here, especially when Mars hits those high notes, which mixed in with the ad-libs of .Paak work so well together. Truly a sensational single!

Next up is 'Fly As Me,' a track that has its issues, in particular the weird lyrics from Mr. Mars such as "Now, have you ever been with a plague?" (Yes Bruno we all have recently and I can tell you that lyric is a definitive turn off.) Fortunately the delivery is groovy and the Jackson 5 energy he gives, works very well over the rocking guitar's and brass. Anderson however is in sensational form, with lyrics like, "Uh, okay, new Silk Sonic smooth like a Mack. Float like a butterfly on every single track," coming across a lot better and I'm sure will keep those listening hot under the collar. The 3rd verse is kinda weaker then what's come before, but we have a good vibe here and a solid song.

Things slow down on the next effort 'After Last Night.' I was excited for the features on this one and while I was disappointed by the lack of a vocal contribution from Thundercat, his guitar playing skills are on acid here and Bootsy Collins' vocals sound like nothing else on this planet. So the seasoning has been great, but the actual meal is fantastic too, as our lead artists go back 2 back, as they discuss falling in love with a girl after sex. The wailing guitar ends proceedings off nicely and here we have one of the highlights of the project.

The latest single 'Smokin Out The Window' sees the story develop as now our leads are in the relationship and the stress of dealing with her children and spending money on her, has led to them contemplating the relationship. Bruno once again reaches those high notes and both deliver well the idea of someone who feels uncertainty and despair, although Anderson's line "Not to be dramatic, but I wanna die," is a bit mad. Still a great track and it fits the sound of the album to a tee.

The relationship reaches its end on 'Put On A Smile,' as we hit break up ballad territory with the piano and funky guitar leaving the listener with a feeling of walking in the rain alone. Both guys are trying to put on a face, but are clearly sad about how things have transpired and convincingly deliver a feeling of sadness in their respective parts of the song. A particular highlight is the drums building up to the chorus, where Mars and the backing singers really knock it out the park, vocally. Truly a break up track for all those who've recently had a heartbreak.

'777' is a short, but sweet time jump for the plot as they are both enjoying the lavish life of Vegas, potentially in an attempt to get over the girl. The Funky instrumental suits both artists well and it's a solid effort from the boys.

The plot of this album becomes a little muddled on 'Skate,' a prior single I enjoyed a fair bit. Bruno dominates the track on this one as he discusses trying to entice a girl towards him. (haven't we been here before?) I do think the travel metaphors work well and the slick delivery of Bruno as he hits those high notes is bloody brilliant, reminding me of 'Don't Stop Till You Get Enough.' Anderson's contribution is decent, but he does feel like he's playing second fiddle here and overall while I do like this track a lot, its placement is still a bit odd. Still those African Drums add another layer to the other instruments and make this track standout from the crowd.

'Blast Off' does feel like a logical closer as Mars take's his girl away into the stratosphere and away from everyone else, but plot wise this feels a bit odd after the breakup on 'Put On A Smile.' Again .Paak feels like a supporting act and I would like to have heard a bit more of him here. Still the more subtle, Bluesy instrumental works well, especially the guitar that really adds to the atmosphere, while the piano and spacey sounds fit well with the more quieter vocals from Bruno towards the end. Maybe it does go on a tad too long, but it's a nice closer to a solid record.

Don't get me wrong, this is not a perfect record and the last two tracks feel more like Bruno Mars featuring Anderson .Paak and clearly both artists have shown their inspiration's throughout the record, in particular Michael Jackson. But for what this is trying to do and the vibe of the LP, it works pretty well and there is plenty of hit potential here. Maybe with a sequel there is an opportunity to iron out some of the kinks, but a fun record has been bestowed upon us and it sounds pretty good.

7.5/10

Thanks for reading this blog and make sure to leave a comment on what you thought of the album. Stay tuned for further blogs on the Instagram (@tomtalks98) and follow our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyWtQov3bCVYPZyWfxzTG5g) or our Podcast on Spotify and other listening platforms. (https://open.spotify.com/show/7HMvEbbbE6yqW5OMpEBPAV) Until next time, stay tuned for another Tom Talks!