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It's 1976.
I'm driving a Cadillac, wearing huge sunglasses, dressed in a suit with a shirt featuring improbable patterns.
From the car radio, I can barely hear the Eagles, drowned out by the wind and the roar of the engine.
The streets of Los Angeles at sunset explode with flaming colors, while the first stars stand out against an indigo sky and the shadows of the palm trees mark the vehicle's fast pace on the road.
Finally, in the distance, I see the silhouette of the Hollywood Palladium, the checkered pattern of the building's facade illuminated by the first streetlights.
Once parked and having reached the sign over the door, before entering to see the concert, I pause at the name that shines above me in sparkling large letters: Silk Sonic.
Alas, I lose concentration and return to 2021.
In yet another year dominated by social media chatter and news about a certain global pandemic, the ambitious musical project that brings together superstar Bruno Mars and the flamboyant Anderson .Paak sets itself the sole aim of taking us back to the Seventies musically, aesthetically, and "spiritually", far from contemporary chaos and worries.
The initial impression of facing the usual hurried revival operation collapses like a house of cards in front of the monolithic nine tracks of the album: Bruno & Andy craft sonic behemoths dense in arrangement yet velvety in execution, bringing the tradition of "Philly's sound" and Motown into the era of modern music production techniques, combining their unique talents in a collaboration marked by fun and mutual personal improvement.
It is precisely in the chemistry between the golden-voiced young man and the two-faced rapper/drummer that lies the key to the success of songs like the super hit "Leave the Door Open" (over 400 million views months after its release on YouTube), pushing the two to amicably compete at the limits of their (already vast) abilities: the first shedding a bit of pop veneer and drawing from .Paak's raw hip-hop vibe in the audacious "777" and "Fly as Me", at times reminiscent of Sly's funky penmanship and his rocky family; the latter engaging in somewhat new, gritty, and demanding vocal performances like the heartfelt "Put on a Smile", a ballad worthy of the best vintage Bobby Womack.
An immense ensemble of musical instruments accompanies the duo, the likes of which haven't been heard in years in an R'n'B production of this sort: a prime example are the strings reminiscent of Gaynor that adorn the cheerful "Skate It", as well as the brass, the sophisticated guitar chords ("what's happening?", someone might sing… no, not Marco Castoldi!) and super drumming performance that complement the biting irony of "Smokin Out the Window".
The cherry on top of the sonic silk is the appearance of stellar guests, namely the phenomenal Thundercat on bass in the sultry "After Last Night" and none other than the legendary Bootsy Collins, with his iconic dreamy and sly talk opening the album only to immerse himself in the role of guide through various interludes of the album, finally bidding farewell to the two colleagues and listeners in the breathtaking final sequence of the modulating "Blast Off".
Vintage soul/funk/R'n'B with a modern twist, played with sensational "punch," not particularly recommended for those who detest nostalgia acts of this kind... certainly appreciated by me, who likes to imagine jumping back into the Cadillac after the concert and traveling into the night towards unknown destinations, in an attempt to get these damn catchy songs out of my head.
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