Cruising Supernova has the mellow grooves of a Frankie Beverly and Maze song; however the lyrics are eclectic and borderline futuristic. The strings and horns keep your senses heightened while the drums demand that you tap your feet. If you close your eyes, you just might see stars and undiscovered planets swirling around you as you float on the melody of the flute and acoustic guitar at the end.

While selections like You Set My Soul on Fire and Clear Blue Skies offer the futuristic fullness of the band, tracks like Trippin’ and Runnin’ make you feel like you’ve just ran and tripped into the 70s. The beats are fast paced and the vocal arrangement is choir-like in its delivery. You may want to take a second look at the ceiling and make sure the glittering disco ball hasn’t descended.

With so many colors of instrumentation, there really was no need for vocal accompaniment on every track. In fact, on songs like Smile for the Camera (where Atar calls his object of affection, “sexy foxy”) the elimination of the vocals would have made this song more palatable. Undercover seems to uncover some hidden desire to be a secret agent and comes across as filler lyrics for this funky rhythm track.

Have I used the words “funk” or “funky” enough? That’s probably because this album is pure funk and rhythm. With the exception of two songs, the entire album keeps the same tempo throughout. If you are not careful, all of the songs will start to sound alike…which isn’t a bad thing if your goal is to stay funked up.

Funkadrome is a virtual cornucopia of driving beats, melodies and uncanny stamina. You definitely feel the energy of 15 creative souls coming together to bring a sound that is a musical dichotomy of past and future. It’s as if a 15-passenger time machine came from the year 2075, travelled to the 1970s and stopped by the beginning of the millennium just to release this album. Thank God for the pit stop. Highly recommended.

Martin’s style is undoubtedly soulful with an array of tracks that glide from aggressive funk tunes to heart-felt love ballads. Your head will nod involuntarily to the beat and wah guitar of Le Chemin; the male and female vocals bounce effortlessly against the track that counteracts the hard funk with a classic Fender Rhodes piano. Knockdown Side puts you in the mood of the 80s group, Loose Ends, with its driving rhythm and clever vocal delivery of life encouragement.

Burn an incense stick and light a few candles while listening to the ballad, So in Love. Martin’s acoustic bass engages in a sexy, melodic dance with the female vocalist and soft string ensemble. While this song embodies all that is neo-soul, tracks like Release and Movin’ On lean towards your garden variety R&B and hip-hop. The up-tempo It’s Your Night seemed a bit overproduced and the Raphael Sadiqq-ish vocals did not ring as true as the other selections.

You Are, featuring the voice of Jill Zadeh, is sexy enough to warrant buying the entire album. The bass and lead guitar fight diligently for the attention of Jill’s soft, controlled soprano. The steady rhythm seems to be the referee for this sultry composition that caresses your ears the way a classic slow jam should.

Jill also sings opposite Tim Owens in the duet, Let Me Give You More. This ballad has all the makings of a timeless classic: a jazz ensemble, two dynamic voices and a subject matter in which the whole world can relate. This song can easily be the backdrop to any wedding reception’s “first dance” and is a quintessential must for the soul ballad playlist on your MP3 player, home entertainment system or wherever you need the mood to be perfect.

The Way takes you in so many positive directions, it’s hard to choose one. Overall, it depends on what mood you’re in and how you need Martin and his magnificent crew to facilitate (your mood). He truly has the ballads and funk with stories of love, life and truth. Even Brother, with its bold violin and gruff male vocals, has the power to uplift you with that Teddy Pendergrass urgency. Ian Martin has put together the kind of compilation that rivals the vast majority of “mainstream” soul and R&B. Highly recommended.

Tags: ian, martin, the, way, album, review, funk, soul, R&B, music

Ironically, there’s nothing obscure about Jonas’ music. The founding member of the band Jonz (Sony Music) has found his niche as a solo artist. He has toured Europe, opening for the multi-ethnic hip-hop group Outlandish, as well as R&B sensation John Legend. His solo album is evidence of his lyrical prowess, seasoned vocals and pure musicianship. It’s no wonder why his album is #12 on the National Danish Airplay Chart and destined to break out into the rest of the world.

The musical arrangements caress your ears with analog warmth often lost in the world of digital production. The wurly piano, bass, strings and lead guitar seem to creep in throughout each song like a kid who’s late for dinner. And like most well-mannered kids, all of the music elements “play nice.” There’s no point where you feel the vocals are overpowering the instruments or vice versa.

“Love Letters” paints colorful imagery as Jonas reflects on memories of a love not forgotten and captured on paper. The music puts you in the mind of Eric Benet, which is not surprising since Jonas worked with George Nash, Jr. and Demonte Posey (the production team behind Benet’s U.S. success). Grab your wine and reminisce with Jonas as he softly flexes his ballad vocal muscles.

The smoothness continues with “Things Gotta Change” as Jonas takes a jazzy approach to diversity. His vocals are pure and believable as his style erases all color lines and nationality boundaries. Jonas encourages us to relish in the beautiful aspirations of a global, collective success: “We need to wake up and face responsibilities/Or there’s no way that we’re ever gon’ see that things ‘round here have gotta change.”

In “Put a Spell on Me,” Jonas combines an insanely funky lead guitar with an infectious beat a la hand clap. Once he reels you in, the lyrics take over when he talks of how he “opened up his heart with voodoo magic surgery.” All the while, you have no problem connecting to his story as his vocals remain both true and simple.

Jonas manages to pull off the dance-able, “My Ride” with the help of female accompaniment. His soft voice creates an awkward fit on songs like “More Than Friends” and “Melting into You,” where the beat-heavy tracks scream for a grittier vocal delivery. Even so, Jonas definitely does not have a problem stepping out of the comfort zone of a soul balladeer.

Sweet Dreams Guaranteed, is a powerful blend of songs with a consistent flow and quality lyrics spread over your ears with a fresh vocal tone. Jonas gives a much needed break from the endless storm of mainstream music. He’ll leave you standing in that pub; clothes dried and spirit stirred. Although he channels a lot of Robin Thicke, JT, Eric Benet and even Musiq Soulchild – Jonas has a great way of nestling into your ears with a sound all his own. Highly recommended.

review by Dantrel Robinson aka Favenite… on the web at: favoritenitemare.com