0142. Maxwell
Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
Just to be up-front here: if your hubby puts this album on there is some freaking planned, so get out of your clothes A.S.A.P.
With an intro sounding like the stereotypical seventies porn-soundtrack this neo soul album kicks off into a haze of smoky house parties (or rather the after-party) and romance.
The whole album is slick, with some songs smoother than others. Dance With Me eases past almost without a trace (apart from the slight feeling of doing the walk of shame home) while Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder) makes more of an imprint.
Whenever, Wherever, Whatever sticks out like a sore thumb though: the plucked-strings semi-spanish guitar sound of the track clashes with the bedroom funk of the rest of the album.
And although some of the tracks have a bit of a plastic sound to them they never sound so artificial that it bothers me. The feel of the album also changes a bit when I find out that Maxwell collaborated with a couple of Marvin Gaye's session musicians (Leon Ware and Wah-Wah Watson). The knowledge doesn't change the sound, but creates a slightly different experience - connected to history.
