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Apr 28, 2014Blacc proves he’s more than capable of stepping into the spotlight for his first major-label album which features 60s soul, folk, retro pop, R’n’B and even country.
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Q MagazineApr 23, 2014Five tracks from the album were released as the Wake Me Up EP late in 2013, but on an album packed with possible alternative hits, the future is already his. [May 2014, p.107]
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Mar 14, 2014A major label debut filled with the sound of his smoky baritone voice, front and center.
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Mar 11, 2014As great as the tune ["Wake Me Up"] may be, it’s Blacc’s voice that hooks you. It’s substantive, searching, and full of the depth modern soul men too often lack.
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Mar 10, 2014It remains as easy on the ears as a worn pair of slippers on the feet.
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Mar 10, 2014Lift Your Spirit is rather formulaic from that standpoint--not as spicy or daring as past efforts--but it's folksy, soulful, and groovy enough to catch your attention.
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May 8, 2014The album doesn’t have a lot of replay value, and the songwriting is hit-or-miss, but Aloe Blacc is able to tap into a market that isn’t seeing a lot of action right now.
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MojoApr 23, 2014It's less effective on the bland troubadour pop of Here Today and The Man, which samples Elton John's Your Song and is already a US Top 5 hit. [May 2014, p.92]
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Apr 7, 2014Aloe Blacc's major-label debut does what it promises: it lifts your spirit.
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Mar 11, 2014Highlights like the boisterous "Can You Do This" and an EDM-free mix of "Wake Me Up" (just in case anyone forgot he's that guy) are plenty radio-friendly, but the songs never quite add up to a cohesive album.
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Mar 10, 2014Throughout the album, Mr. Blacc sings with the kind of earthy vitality that many studied neo-soul singers don’t have the voice to match. But too often, the production--most of it by DJ Khalil--is so thoroughly retro that Mr. Blacc only reminds a listener of whom he’s emulating.
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Mar 10, 2014If only its last few tracks were just as focused and compelling [as "Wake Me Up"]. Lift Your Spirit only suffers when it winds down, as it panders to Blacc’s booming audience.
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Apr 4, 2014Blacc's gravelly, expressive voice sounds terrific throughout, his trills and melodies indebted to Stevie Wonder and Bill Withers, but isn't enough to make the album sound particularly exciting.
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UncutApr 2, 2014His leftfield takes on protest soul have been ditched in favour of pick'n'mix revivalism and banal inspirational platitudes. [May 2014, p.67]
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Mar 31, 2014There’s good songwriting in places, but with the artist’s idiosyncrasies effectively airbrushed out by a bloated production, the result is a dull, vapid collection of songs desperate to please.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 11 out of 27
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Mixed: 2 out of 27
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Negative: 14 out of 27
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Dec 6, 2014
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Mar 11, 2014