Love Always Wins

Never one to rush out new material, and established enough to remain untroubled by the possibility of diminishing relevance, Kem took a few years off after he released Promise to Love in 2014. Still with Motown, he returns with a reliably mellow, romantic, and gently uplifting album that embraces his role in adult contemporary R&B and at the same time more openly displays his inspirations and stretches out. The singer switches it up a little by working closely with Derek DOA Allen, a veteran musician and fellow songwriter/producer whose mark has been left on albums by contemporaries such as Tyrese, Angie Stone, and Joe, as well as Brian Culbertson, whose lively piano supports Lonely. As a consequence, Love Always Wins is more scuffed and groove-oriented than any previous Kem album. Whether Kem is testifying with a gospel choir in Love, bobbing his head as he does his best Marvin Gaye falsetto on Love, or crooning over acoustic and pedal steel guitars and a twitchy Timbaland-like rhythm for Not Before You, nothing sounds truly out of character. Given the social climate and Kems life experience, its no surprise that his message songs and love ballads carry more currency than ever. Best of all is Lie to Me, a breezy, feel-good number that unmistakably evokes mid-70s Earth, Wind & Fire (with writing help from an all-star team of Salaam Remi, Anthony Hamilton, and James Poyser). Just beneath it are Live Out Your Love, another Marvin-inspired moment (more in the I Want You mode), and the gospel blues title track. Bonus alternate versions of those two songs appear at the end and respectively add Toni Braxton and Erica Campbell, co-stars as considered as any other artistic choice made here. ~ Andy Kellman

アンソニー・ハミルトンらと共作した"Lie To Me"を先行曲とした6年ぶりの新作。今回はデレク"DOA"アレンとの共同制作で、内省的なムードを湛えつつ、4つ打ちのディスコ曲にもトライしているが、シンプルこそ最強と謳う彼の美学は変わっていない。ブライアン・カルバートソンをピアノで招いてスムース・ジャズに寄り、エリカ・キャンベルの客演版も収めた表題曲ではゴスペルに接近するなど、求められる自分を素直に打ち出している。現モータウンの看板らしく、ヒッツヴィルUSA(現博物館)のスタジオAにてポール・ライザーの指揮でストリングス録りも実施。うちトニ・ブラクストンとのデュエット版で話題の"Live Out Your Love"はステッパーズの新定番となりつつある。エレガンスを極めた上質盤だ。
bounce (C)林剛