by Black Pumas
~ When you’re just barely ahead of the wave ~
These guys are all over the place now, but I first heard them when they popped up in a YouTube mix about a year ago when I had some background music on at work. I’m not even sure what it was that directed me to that mix. It wasn’t even this song that I picked up, but after looking up the band and checking out other tunes they had this was the next one I gravitated to. Like many other bands out there – Sheryl Crow and Hootie & the Blowfish both spring immediately to mind – their first single wasn’t the strongest song and it was the second single that really should have been their highlight. That’s the case with these guys, where the second single is a stronger tune than the first.
It’s soulful and hypnotic and unmistakably “black” without being overwhelmed by the legacy of hip hop. It’s a throwback the ’60s and ’70s when black artists played instruments instead of turntables. There’s nothing wrong with the studio talent that hip hop artists display today, but you miss the distinct vibe of actual bands like the Commodores and Earth wind and Fire. These guys have a distinct vibe and let’s hope they keep going for a long time.