Welcome to Episode 67 of This Is Not Happening. An Album of the Month podcast. In Part 1, we do a deep drive review of our Album of the Month. This month Joey brings a slice of sophisticated, R&B tinged pop with Eliza's Jill latest album 'The Darkening Green'.In Part 2, we play Spin It or Bin It, we pick a theme and all pick songs that represent that theme. This month the theme is 'Sophisticated Pop'. —— Part 1 | Album of the Month | Eliza | The Darkening Green ——Eliza is an enigma. She has recorded under a different name but has been recording under 'Eliza' for the past 10 years or so.After 3 long, very complex albums on the pod we take a new direction, 9 tracks and 35 minutes of sophisticated pop, stylish soul driven vibes. Its full of grooves, it's full of tunes and its full of all of the emotions. I have become quite obsessed with this and am recommending it to everyone.Listen to the original album here.Read some interviews and bits here and here.If you love this album like I do … buy it here. —————- Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | New Music —————- The theme is Sophisticaed Pop … but we also get a bit confused between this and 'sophisti-pop' and to be honest, Nolan looses his shit. The task is pick a track that fits the theme, the objective, get more 'spins' than your friends. We each pick four tracks for a 16 track play list . We then each pick select 1 track and ask the simple question 'Spin It Or Bin It'?Nolan chose 'Dance Little Sister' by Sanada Maitreya.David chose 'Uncertain Smile' by The The.Joey chose 'Sweetest Taboo' by Sade.Guy chose 'Hold me Now' by Thompson Twins.We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look – https://thisisnothappening.net/
Welcome to Episode 66 of This Is Not Happening.An Album of the Month podcast.
In Part 1, we do a deep drive review of our Album of the Month. This month David brings Neo-Soul back into focus with Jill Scott and her comeback album ‘To Whom This May Concern.
In Part 2, we play Spin It or Bin It, we pick a theme and all pick songs that represent that theme. This month the theme is ‘Neo-Soul, and it’s a belter.
—— Part 1 | Album of the Month | Jill Scott | To Who This May Concern ——
Jill Scott’s debut was released in 2000, it played a big part in some of our lives. But most of us lost touch after this release. It’s 26 years later and Jill has been through some shit.
This album is big, it’s a lot. There is a lot to take in digest and consider. It works big time for some of us … not so much for others. Have a listen, let’s get into this!
Tiny Desk concerts are getting better and better, here is Jill’s.
Watch some videos, interviews and performances here.
—————- Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | New Music —————-
The theme is Neo-Soul, the task is pick a track that fits the theme, the objective, get more ‘spins’ than your friends. We each pick for tracks for a 16 track play list (that is fire).
We then each pick select 1 track and ask the simple question ‘Spin It Or Bin It’?
Jill Scott is deeply entwined in my life, but at the same time, I probably haven’t listened to her much in years. Her debut album, Who Is Jill Scott? dropped in 2000, on the cusp of a new millennium, and became an instant classic in what became known as Neo-soul. Like a lot of genre, it’s a nefarious business trying to pin down what makes something Neo-soul as opposed to R&B or soul, but it definitely leans into an organic sound – real instruments, live drums, and strong, powerful vocal performances. Philadelphia obviously has an extraordinarily rich history in soul music, and Scott became the latest on a long line of legends from that city to pick up the baton and run with it into a new era.
Right from the off, she created a sensual, rich sound full of tight performances and expansive songwriting, and that’s before we even get to that voice. She has a unique ability to sound sexy, authoritative, contemplative, in your face, gentle. She can sing, she can rap, she can sound like spoken word poetry. She’s the real deal and she quickly found herself at the top of the true alongside the likes of Erykah Badu and D’Angelo.
And then onto my own personal with this music. I had just got together with Caroline the year before – and indeed had just met Joey at the same time, and this genre was the so much the part of those years. I can think of scores of soul and R&B albums we all rinsed to death at that time – Lucy Pearl, Raphael Saadiq, Maxwell. And Jill Scott. They felt politically conscious very much like the Native Tongues hip hop of a decade previously, big on Afrocentricism and positivity. It was optimistic music. And I want to come back to that point.
Those first two Jill Scott albums I loved so hard. I don’t know why, but they just spoke to me and they soundtracked our early relationship. But like a lot of artists, she kind of fell of my radar a bit. I remember spinning her Woman album in 2015 a few times and thinking – yeah, I’ve heard this before, nothing new here. That was her last album. It’s been ten years.
So this could go one of two ways. It could be a tired old retread. Or it could be a revelatory return to form. I’d seen some preview reviews that suggested this might be the latter. And boy, they are not fucking kidding. I cannot believe how much I love this record.
Firstly, let’s get some housekeeping out the way. It’s not a short album. It’s 19 songs and 58 minutes. But personally, I have never had something slip down so easily. She sounds energised, excited to be making music, and so fucking cool. There’s an incredible array of genres on here – slow jams (Pressha, Beautiful People), hip hop (Norf Side, a real highlight for me), Afrobeat grooves (BPOTY), club friendly dance tunes (Right Here, Right Now). The whole thing is a total tour de force.
I know everyone is having their own journey here, so let me raise a couple of things that are worth considering. One is this – let’s be honest, this album could been made in 2002. It is not rewriting the history books, it’s just very, very good at what it is. But what it is is a very positive record, it’s a 53 year old woman rediscovering her joy at making music after a long gap. But it’s also full of that early 00s positivity vibe. I guess I’m wondering – does that feel a bit out of place in our fucked up, bleak world right now? For me, it’s just giving me life. But maybe it doesn’t quite for everyone…
The other factor is that this is plugging into my past and probably even my relationship with Caroline. Remove that and does it mean so much to the average listener? Perhaps not.
Anyway, this is the first record I’ve heard this year that could be in my top 10. But that’s just me. Over to you, brothers…
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