Crossfade Reviews: Silk Sonic "An Evening with Silk Sonic"

 by Karl W.

Silk Sonic "An Evening with Silk Sonic"
[Aftermath/Atlantic]
R&B/Funk/Soul

    Once in a blue moon, a collaboration between two artists comes around to blow away all expectations and make something truly special. Usually, these collaborations aren't terribly popular, however, at least not to the extent that Silk Sonic has. The new creative project between pop and R&B star Bruno Mars and bubbling underground R&B artist Anderson .Paak received almost immediate praise upon its announcement alone, but with "Leave the Door Open", that success was almost immediately seen, reaching to the top of the Billboard Charts upon release. It has been well over half a year since the release of that song, and now with "An Evening with Silk Sonic" at our doorsteps, were they able to deliver on that initial promise?

    The answer is yes. Yes yes yes, 100% yes. "An Evening with Silk Sonic" is the R&B and funk throwback album that has all the swell and swagger of the classic R&B and funk albums of the 1970s. The funk and R&B recalls classics from Smokey Robinson to George Clinton to Marvin Gaye. Heck, they even got Bootsy Collins on this record to be the sultry narrator for our two performers on stage. Speaking of which, both Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak have exquisite chemistry. This is one of those collaborations that almost makes too much sense in concept, as both artists have flirted with throwback sounds in the past to pretty good results. Bruno Mars has that smooth tamper with a falsetto that makes songs like "Leave the Door Open" and "Smoking Out The Window" truly soar. Meanwhile, Anderson .Paak has a swagger and confidence in his performance that adds a sense of fun and thrill in these songs, especially on his performance on "Fly As Me". The production on this album is also impeccable, among the best of any album I've heard all year. Each song on this album has their own distinct feel, drawing back to a style to a different type of 60s and 70s R&B and funk music. Take "After Last Night" for example, a sultry bedroom R&B jam that has Thundercat performing the backing bass that sells the effect perfectly. There's also the bass-driven funk on "Fly As Me" has a type of infectious groove that you'd hear on an Earth, Wind, and Fire track. All finishes off with "Blast Off" that is a psychedelic funk song that makes the references to blasting off to the stars and ending off with a great guitar solo.

    While some might say the lyrics would be the weakest point of an album like this, I'd argue they're the cherry on top of this cake. As I mentioned before, this album is a throwback to R&B and funk songs of the 60s and 70s, a handful of which are silly enough on their own. Bruno and Anderson both go all in on the cheese with this album, though there is still plenty of heart and passion within it as well. "Smoking Out The Window", for example, is about being in a relationship where you are clearly being used and you're just left smoking out the window and realizing how you got here and what to do afterwards, filled with plenty of references and camp on top of it all. "Put On A Smile", meanwhile, is the emotional centerpiece of the album that is also filled with its corny references, for sure, but has a lot of passion and emotional weight as both men sing about missing their significant others while out on the road, with the utterly titanic performance by Bruno Mars only accentuating that point.

    Honestly, it came to the point where I was having trouble finding something to truly dislike. I'm not terribly wild about the Las Vegas funk song "777" that felt like the most perfunctory on the album, but even that song has a lot of fun moments on it. The album is short, for sure, but it's really as long as it needs to be, as all the songs are instantly memorable, incredibly catchy, and wonderfully crafted. There's no guessing where Silk Sonic will go next after this, or even if they will go further past this, but they left their mark with "An Evening with Silk Sonic" that will be tough to match.

Best Songs: "Leave the Door Open", "Fly As Me", "After Last Night" ft. Thundercat, Bootsy Collins, "Smoking Out the Window", "Put on a Smile", "Skate"

Worst Song: "777"

9/10 (Amazing)