The highly anticipated release, “An Evening With Silk Sonic,” hits the airwaves as the album tributes the soulful sounds of the 1970s. PHOTO CREDIT: stereogum.com
After months of anticipation, it’s finally here. Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars released their collaborative album, “An Evening With Silk Sonic,” after announcing it back in March.
The album is a nine-track love letter to the sounds of the 1970s, featuring smooth vocals alongside catchy instrumentation and surprise features from funk legend Bootsy Collins and Thundercat.
Four of the album’s tracks were released earlier this year –– “Silk Sonic Intro,” “Leave The Door Open,” “Skate” and “Smokin Out The Window.”
Lead single “Leave The Door Open” is a suave love song that balances the vocal talents of Mars and .Paak so well. It has become one of the most popular songs in both their discographies since its initial release in March.
“Silk Sonic Intro” is an upbeat track, reminiscent of some of Bruno Mars’s early hits featuring narration from Bootsy Collins, while “Skate” is a smooth seaside serenade that instantly transports the listener to a beachside resort.
Their latest single, “Smokin Out The Window,” represents frustrations in a relationship. The amazing vocals of both Mars and .Paak are put on display again on this track.
The seventh track on the album, appropriately titled “777,” is a confident party anthem. Themes of gambling, living lavishly and casino life in Las Vegas are incredibly present throughout this song.
“Fly As Me” features some incredible basslines and a catchy chorus. While it has caught some criticism for sounding like music from commercials on social media, the track personally reminds me of a cheesy mid-1970s police show; in the best way possible, of course.
“After Last Night” is a groovy laid back track with features from Thundercat and Collins. Thundercat was the perfect feature for this song as his falsetto voice and smooth work on the bass both shine through.
“Put On A Smile” is a dramatic soulful love song with some truly genuine lyrics from Mars and .Paak, while “Blast Off” ends the album off with a bang. It has incredible vocal harmonies and an exciting surprise electric guitar solo.
Overall, this album did not disappoint. Mars and .Paak tapped into the soulful R&B sounds of the 1970s perfectly. The overall aesthetic of this project was really cool to witness and I hope that Silk Sonic continue to work together in the future. Neither artist has produced a bad album and “An Evening With Silk Sonic” continues that streak for both of them. It was impossible to listen to the album without dancing along to each song.
Mars and .Paak are arguably two of the smoothest artists making music currently, so it’s no surprise this album was a hit. Their chemistry with each other really makes this album special and it has cemented them both as music superstars.
My one criticism of this project would be its length. At just nine tracks and a 31-minute runtime, I wish we had one or two more songs to enjoy from the duo. That being said, “An Evening With Silk Sonic ” is already one of my favorite releases from this year. Final Rating: 8.7/10