We hear a lot about those trailblazers who are pushing the neo-soul envelope and reinventing the genre for the next generation, and of course, all music genres, sounds, and styles need to move with the times and write their own successive chapters. But, you could argue that most genres, including soul, have unfinished business regarding the sounds that lie in their past. Take a listen to the latest one from Bonneville, the fragrant and funky “Flying Machine,” and you will surely agree with me.
But of course, dealing with retro sounds doesn’t mean plundering or plagiarizing what has gone before; the smart sonic cookie will be found making music that builds a bridge between the past and the present, music that is the logical extension of what has gone before.
And so it is here with the duo embracing the sophisticated soul and gentle funk of the 70s, a gorgeously accessible, old school R&B sound, and no small amount of timeless pop contagion, echoing the classic sound of everyone from Marvin Gaye to Curtis Mayfield to the formative balladic sound of a young Michael Jackson.
Yes, there are plenty more sonic seams to mine before we abandon the past altogether, and “Flying Machine” is the proof. I could wax lyrical about how great this band is, but all I will say is this…Bonneville, it’s a triumph!
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