R&B musician Curtis Harding has been working the Atlanta scene for awhile on local projects with OutKast, Cee-Lo Green, and even the Black Lips and has now released his solo debut album, Soul Power. The set of 12 tracks blends soul and rock, or what Harding calls slop ‘n’ soul: “I take the bits and pieces that I have, which in Southern culture they call ‘slop’ – that’s what you give to pigs – and soul is what I grew up on, so that’s the foundation.” The album fuses the southern soul sounds of the ’60s and early ’70s with a contemporary sensibility along with solid songwriting, smooth, understated vocals, and a falsetto reminiscent of Curtis Mayfield or Al Green. Album highlights include: the 1970’s R&B inspired “Keep on Shining”; the Stones-esque “Surf”; the touching “Beautiful People” and “I Need A Friend”; and the guitar rock tracks “The Drive” and “I Don’t Wanna Go Home.” Harding is a talented new musician whose fusion of the past and present results in solid debut that would make any of his predecessors proud. – Written by JFelton
SIMILAR | Black Lips, Al Green, Cee-Lo Green, Curtis+Mayfield, Outkast