I have become a busy lady since starting back to school January 11th. With the drive to and from and full days at school, not to mention all the assignments, I have had little to no time for much else. However, I do occasionally find myself discovering new music/books.
I recently had the chance to acquire a copy of the new Mr. Hudson album Straight No Chaser and of course have had plenty of time in the car to give it a thorough listen. The first song I had heard previous to having the actual album was Supernova, featuring Kanye West and I had decided that "hey, this is kind of alright".
Let me explain a little about that last comment. You see, I have a very special place in my heart for Mr. Hudson & The Library, which is his old band. Having gone solo and adopting a new sound, I was a little cautious and I can say it, a little biased, and was sure he would never be the same without The Library. I was sad and afraid that the "sound" that had so lovingly entranced me, couldn't possibly be found on the new album.
That being said, I can say that my reservations were unfounded. The new album does have a different vibe, but it's definitely a good thing. The new beat and feel of the music is awesome! The more I listen to it, the more I "need" to listen to it. Does that make sense? Mr. Hudson's talent has grown so much, and although I will miss "The Library" they did collaborate with Ben(Mr. Hudson) on the song "There Will Be Tears". So I got my "throwback" song, and I'm satisfied with that.
Mr. Hudson's new sound comes from working with Kanye West (genius). Kanye's musical sense for melody is no doubt what attracted him to Ben. On, A Tale of Two Cities, the melodies will entrance you, as the must have done to Kanye.
If you have yet to catch the Mr. Hudson wave, I would highly recommend grabbing a copy of A Tale of Two Cities first, and then the new album. I think that artists like Mr. Hudson should be experienced from the beginning.
