Maxwell: BLACKsummer’snight

Maxwell – humana humana! - Is a man blessed with all the right attributes to make him a superstar in the music business. Handsome, sexy, with a voice that can make a woman quiver around her nether regions. Yet his status quo outside the urban scene is relatively unknown compared to his R&B/Soul contemporaries, who enjoy mainstream radio rotation singing tales about bling over a glass of Cristal whilst staring at a pair apple-bottom jeans as if waiting for it to bear fruit.

Maxwell has one of the best falsettos in the music biz today, and along with his mellow-smoothness, sometimes stage-humping antics, and sensual sounds that make you wanna do a little sumthin’ sumthin’, he has sealed himself as a favourite amongst true R&B/Soul fans.

After a seven-year hiatus, Maxwell, the prodigal son of neo-soul and contemporary R&B, is back! And don’t expect him to pull another Houdini on us anytime soon. His first instalment, ‘BLACKsummer’night’, was released today (7th of July), and is the first of a trilogy of albums scheduled to be released over the next three years, namely, ‘blackSUMMER’Snight’ and ‘blacksummer’sNIGHT’, respectively – spot the difference. The album was recorded live in the studio, backed by a 10-piece band.

Since the announcement of his upcoming 4th album, Maxwell has been busy touring around the US, following a more traditional ‘Motown’ way of bringing his new music to the people, pre-album release. So, for his less fortunate fans living outside of the States, Maxwell released just the one single, ‘Pretty Wings’.

The single is a good indication that, while he has returned sans-afro, there is no indication of a Samson-esque lost of powers. Song gives sensation of eating delectable seductive fruit alone – it slides pass tongue, tingles taste buds, folds into throat, but when you look up to say, “Wasn’t that yummy?” – no one’s there. The ballad is a beautiful, multi-textured, haunting memoir of post-break up blues, with hints of a more mature Maxwell.

Like the eager beaver I am, I pre-ordered his album on Amazon, and was delighted to hear that it is currently on the way.

Rating: Staring obsessively at mailbox

Excerpt from ‘Five Days of Black’: