Most artists working with old forms struggle to create
distinct, great music that doesn’t feel like a shadow of old legends. This has been especially true of the
retro-soul revivalists that have grown innumerable in the last decade and a
half. Rote songwriting, weak production,
stiff instrumentation, and insufficiently soulful singing: these are only a few
of many problems that have plagued the many increasingly interchangeable revivalists. Most of these albums felt dated immediately
upon release. Only a few artists such as
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings have really stood out and seemed like they could
stand up to their influences. Until Faithful Man, Lee Fields was firmly on
the weaker end of the spectrum, in spite of having put out his first record in
1969. This album is an unbelievable leap
forward for Truth & Soul Records’ flagship artist. It’s no What’s
Going On or Let’s Stay Together,
but Fields’ loose concept album about infidelity and a deteriorating
relationship could be slotted on a shelf with a bunch of early 70s Atlantic
soul records and not look like a pale imitation. And like the best of those old albums, Faithful Man doesn’t feel old or
dated. It feels timeless, in line with
its direct influences but not dragged down by them.
Lee Fields - "Walk on Thru That Door"
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