Aloe Blacc
Shine Through

Stones Throw Records, the label owned by the versatile and ingenious Peanut Butter Wolf, has always stood out over the years for its courage in promoting artists of undeniable talent and unique musical taste, who have managed to renew and update Hip-Hop and black music in general, in the face of the looming advance of modern times, seen by many as a daunting bugbear to be avoided at all costs.

After the Lootpack, Yesterdays New Quintet, Oh No, and the phantasmagoric Madvillain project, 2006 sees another interesting new addition to the roster: Aloe Blacc.

Of Panamanian origin, E. Nathaniel Dawkins, known as Aloe Blacc, was born in Los Angeles in 1979 and began to cultivate his love for music from elementary school, becoming a decent level trumpeter as a teenager. Soon, his passion for Hip-Hop emerged, along with his first studio recordings as an MC with Emanon, which earned him good visibility in the underground music scene. This led to his first record offers, the appreciation from the newly formed Stones Throw, the opportunity to open for the Lootpack's European tour, and friendships with Oh No. The rest is recent history, an original artistic journey and personal maturation that led him to release his first album, "Shine Through" (Stones Throw Records, 2006), almost entirely self-produced, a work that confirms his talent and capacities as a composer and multi-instrumentalist (he also learned to play the piano and guitar).

The album, in its sixteen tracks (including the two bonus tracks on the CD version, "Gente Ordinaria" and "Severa"), delves into the varied world of Aloe Blacc, with his diverse influences, ranging from Funk to Hip-Hop, through Reggae and Jamaican Dancehall, R&B, Soul, and an evident Central/South American mood, with some songs sung in Spanish.

The start is truly chilling: it begins with "Whole World", four captivating minutes of refined and rhythmic Electro-Soul, supported by rabid and energetic drumming that would make DJ Shadow, RJD2, or any other beat alchemist envious. It continues with the splendid "Long Time Coming", produced by Oh No, a magnificent cover of Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come", which, in the mid-'60s, was hailed as a masterpiece before the premature passing of the great Soul singer. Spine-chilling. The engaging and percussive "Are You Ready", with its R&B/Dancehall-flavored rhythms, seems perfectly crafted to fill any dancefloor, while the "rough mix" of the delightful interlude "Busking" (Aloe Blacc killing time singing at the bus stop, hoping to make it to his appointment on time!) quickly gives way to two extraordinary Latin-oriented gems, the irresistible "Bailar - Scene I", full of acoustic guitars, percussion, and horns, and the more suspended and ambient "Nascimento (Birth) - Scene II". Not bad. With the booty-shaking anthem "Dance For Life", we dive back into more futuristic and synthetic territories, before the Spanish-lyrics of "Patria Mia", a heartfelt tribute to his Panamanian and Hispanic roots.

The short skit/title-track "Shine Through", an intimate unplugged recording taken in one go, introduces us to the profound "Caged Birdsong", the only purely Hip-Hop track on the album, enriched by our (excellent MC, no doubt!) evocative lyrics and the splendid chorus sung by the talented vocalist Danica Rozelle. It's back to dancing with "Arrive" and "Want Me", before the little masterpiece "One Inna", a jewel to be listened to over and over again, with an incredibly "soulful" production, kindly provided by Mr. Madlib. The love song "I'm Beautiful" closes the dances but leaves room for the two previously mentioned bonus tracks, both in Spanish, more reflective and melancholic the first, "Gente Ordinaria", more cheerful the second, "Severa".

This, in short, is "Shine Through", a kaleidoscopic and colorful container, rich in emotions, shades, lights, and shadows, that entertains, delights, and moves throughout its duration, allowing itself to be listened to with great pleasure. Congratulations to the talented Aloe Blacc, creator of an album of undeniable quality, and to Stones Throw, which, more than ten years after its founding, continues to offer great music, defying the harsh rules of the record market.