Review Summary: The most feel good album I've bought recently.
Aloe Blacc is a very talented Soul singer and MC from Orange County. This album is his second, and it was released on Stones Throw Records. Beginning with the opener "I Need A Dollar", Aloe Blacc weaves a carefully constructed tale of one man's journey through unemployment, the cycles of poverty, and alcoholism. "My wine is good to me, it helps me pass the time. And my good old buddy whiskey always helps me see sunshine." You almost feel sorry for Nathaniel (that's his real name) as he croons through a soft piano beat and a simple drum part. This song first got popular on Fight Night Champion, and I even heard it on a Top 40 Satellite Radio Station. However, the rest of the album sounds like The Jimi Hendrix Experience with a different singer. Muted wah-wah guitars are abound in almost every song. "Miss Fortune" has a beat very similar to Beck's "Loser". I almost thought Beck had a guest verse on this song. Sadly, this isn't the case. Anyway, this is the most feel-good album of the current year (even though it was released in September 2010, I Need A Dollar is "new" on the radio). Get this if you like Cee-Lo Green and other Soul artists.
