Review Summary: BlackSUMMERS'night is Maxwell's sequel to Blacksummers'night (2009). The album is a wonderful blend of funk and neo soul.
BlackSUMMERS’night is Maxwell’s latest album released in 2016. The album is the sequel to his 2009 album of the same name. The album consists of twelve songs, six of which are slow songs. My favorite of the six are: “Lake By The Ocean”, “1990x”, and “Listen Hear”. “Lake By The Ocean” is a classic neo-soul ballad with nourishing Maxwell vocals and a smooth chorus. The lyrics are poetic and imaginative and cover themes related to love and isolation. “1990x” is a fantastic neo soul ballad with spiritual lyrics reminiscent of those on Embrya. Maxwell’s use of his dreamy falsetto on the chorus and the verses are absolutely electrifying. The laid-back instrumentation perfectly suits the lyrics of the song. Seriously one of my all-time favorite ballads. No words can describe how much I love this song. It truly touches my soul. “Listen Hear” is another soulful ballad. The lyrics are incredibly vulnerable and earnest, which is a huge plus for me. I especially like when Maxwell sings “Listen hear, pay attention my dear, open your eyes, see me more clear…. I am scared and I am shy”. The instrumentation is supple and accompanies Maxwell’s evocative vocals. The other ballads on the album are “Of All Kind”, “Lost”, and “Gods”. They all deal with lyrical themes relating to love and heartbreak. “Lost” is particularly interesting because his vocals are so raw and nasally. I enjoy “Of All Kind” and “Gods” but they are definitely filler tracks.
The more danceable tracks on the album are some of Maxwell’s best. My personal favorites are “All The Ways Love Can Feel”, “Hostage”, and “Fingers Crossed”. “All The Ways Love Can Feel” is a classic mid tempo funk record with rich smokey falsetto vocals by Maxwell. The horn arrangements are perfect and the lyrical themes are philosophical and self-adulatory in nature. I especially love the “I know you can’t hear me” line in the chorus. Maxwell sings that line in his normal mix voice which creates a nice juxtaposition with the rest of his falsetto vocals. Just a really sophisticated sensual track. “Fingers Crossed” is a romantic funk record with fantastic horns and great drum instrumentation. Maxwell sings beautifully in this track as well. Within the second minute of the song, there is a beautiful, magnificient sounding “oooh-oooh” that accompanies the funky drumbeat. There is a wonderful horn arrangement that kicks in the last ninety seconds of the song. Just a fantastic song. “Hostage” is a midtempo ne soul record with metaphorical romantic lyrics. Maxwell sings about being held hostage by a beautiful girl. There is a wonderful funky drum arrangement near the middle of the song and Maxwell really belts out the last verse with incredible ferocity and vigor. The other two funk tracks are “III” and “The Fall”. “III” is a synth funk record with incredibly chintzy synthesizers. Maxwell’s vocals are quenched and passionate vocals and the drum instrumentation is sparse. There are some nice horns near the middle of the song. The lyrics are a bit unfocused in my view. Overall, my least favorite track on the album. “The Fall” is an interesting song with a unique drum progression and a nuanced vocal performance from Maxwell. The drum arrangements give one the image of descending down a set of stairs or an escalator. The lyrics deal with self-doubt and love. Overall, a nice track to set the pace of the album. The last song of the album is “Night”, a short instrumental.
“BlackSUMMERS’night” is a worthy addition into Maxwell’s legendary catalogue. It has some of his most evocative funk tracks and heartfelt ballads. I am excited to see what is next.
