Raphael Saadiq  The Way I See It

As the creative driving force beyond the immortal new jack trio Tony! Toni! Tone!, Raphael Saadiq gave neo-soul both its blueprint and definitive statement with House of Music.  It’s not a stretch to say that the soul junky ecstasy flowing from Daptone Records owes as much to Saadiq as it does to the crate digger culture that has long been illuminating buried treasures from soul’s vintage era.  Conquering the retro stigma, Daptone has contributed its own modern classics both from Sharon Jones and the Dapkings-assisted Amy Winehouse.  With The Way I See It, Saadiq has contributed the male counterpart to these recent timeless works.  The deep soul sound of the 60s and 70s is not an aged fad, but one of the sweet spots in the history of pop music.  Soul is as bottomless a source for creativity, musical virtuosity, and wrenching emotional resonance now as it was at its peak.  The Way I See It is drenched in it so much that even Jay-Z sounds as if he is transmitted from 1966 in his guest turn.  Saadiq has essentially recaptured the magic that made House of Music such a piece of work, while drenching The Way I See It even more in his innate, delectable soul syrup.  The referents and signposts point clearly to a bygone era, but Saadiq’s sincerity and skill make each track immediate and modern, the Instant Vintage he’s been seeking throughout his stellar (and overlooked) solo career.