Soul Power
Black-and-white photograph of a shirtless African-American man (Harding) smoking a cigarette with the text "Curtis Harding" and "Soul Power" in a white font at the top-left corner
Studio album by
Curtis Harding
ReleasedMay 6, 2014 (2014-05-06)
Recorded2014
StudioLiving Room Studios
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Genre
Length40:42
LabelBurger
ProducerCurtis Harding
Curtis Harding chronology
Soul Power
(2014)		 Face Your Fear
(2017)

Soul Power is the debut studio album by American singer Curtis Harding, released May 6, 2014, by Burger Records. It encompasses a wide breadth of genres, though it is primarily inspired by soul music and his mother's gospel singing. The album received generally favorable reviews from music critics.

Background and development

Before Soul Power, Curtis Harding had worked with several artists of various genres, including backing R&B and hip hop recording artist CeeLo Green and collaborating with members of the rock bands Black Lips and Mastodon.[1] As a child, Harding was influenced by his mother's gospel music while touring.[2] He also sees the evolution of gospel music as parallel with the history of African Americans in the United States, as the foundation of many musical genres. "From hardship and trials, you make something beautiful," he told The 405.[2]

According to Harding, many songs of Soul Power are inspired by relationships with his family and friends. "It's about love, love lost," he said prior to the album's release. "It's about overcoming different things."[3] He also said that he sought to make the album accessible to broad audiences by incorporating many genres.[3]

Recording and release

In 2014, Harding recorded Soul Power at Living Room Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, with Justin McNeight and Edward Rawls.[3] They spent two weeks and recorded 20 songs; 12 were included on the album.[3] Randy Michael composed the music to "Keep on Shining" (with Harding's lyrics); writer Jason Reynolds worked on two songs with Harding; and Harding co-wrote several other songs.[3]

Burger Records released Soul Power on May 6, 2014.[4] The album's cover image is a black-and-white photograph by Hedi Slimane[5] of Harding, shirtless, smoking a cigarette.[6]

Composition

Harding calls his musical genre "slop 'n' soul", based on the leftovers of music he has encountered;[3] the influence of many genres is evident.[1] His voice – kept mellow throughout the album – ranges "from smoky croon to silky falsetto."[7] Musically, Soul Power draws primarily from classic soul music.[6] "Foot-stomping backbeats, brassy guitar-work, and booming horns" across the album are taken from 1960s soul.[3]

In Soul Power, examples of other genres include the indie rock guitar part of "I Don't Wanna Go Home";[6] the garage rock groove of "Drive My Car";[5] the disco style of "Heaven's on the Other Side".[2] Classic rock and roll is featured in "Surf" (a song inspired by The Walking Dead)[8] and "I Don't Wanna Go Home" in contrast to the balladry of "Castaway".[9] The lyrics of the somber, gospel-inspid song "Freedom" imply a connection with roots of soul music and slavery.[2] "Keep on Shining" is shaped by a dynamic rhythm reminiscent of northern soul[5] paired with brass flair and falsetto backing vocals.[2]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic80/100[10]
Review scores
SourceRating
The 4057/10[2]
Allmusic[4]
Blurt[9]
The Guardian[5]
The Irish Times[1]
Now[7]

Harding was commended for his voice.[7] "Harding's ability to keep every song in line with his personable singing and no-nonsense guitar is what makes this LP truly special – well, that and the fact that there’s not a bum track on it," wrote Michael Toland of Blurt.[9] "Harding is an undeniably versatile vocal talent, as you’d expect from someone schooled firstly in gospel choirs and then as a backing singer for CeeLo Green," wrote Tim Jonze of The Guardian. "But ... it's hard to detect what he's bringing fresh to the mix. Too often, Harding's new blues and soul sound very much like the old versions."[5]

Track listing

Adapted from AllMusic.[4]

All tracks are written by Curtis Harding, except where noted

No.TitleLength
1."Next Time"4:30
2."Castaway"3:40
3."Keep on Shining" (Harding and Randy Michael)3:23
4."Freedom" (Harding and Jason Reynolds)2:43
5."Surf"3:04
6."I Don't Wanna Go Home" (Harding and Jared Swilley)2:16
7."Beautiful People"3:22
8."The Drive"3:42
9."Heaven's on the Other Side" (Harding and Reynolds)3:59
10."Drive My Car"2:58
11."I Need a Friend" (Harding and Michael)3:13
12."Cruel World" (Harding and Andrew Teems)3:52

Personnel

Adapted from AllMusic.[11]

  • Cole Alexander – featured artist, guitar
  • Chris Case – keyboards
  • Ben Davis – clarinet, tenor saxophone
  • Lucas Donaud – logo
  • Darren English – trumpet
  • Curtis Harding – composer, guitar, mixing, primary artist, producer
  • Justin McNeight – engineer, mastering, mixing, percussion
  • Taylor Kennedy – baritone saxophone
  • Randy Michael – composer
  • Tyler Morris – guitar
  • Noah Pine – keyboards
  • Edward Rawls – engineer, mastering, mixing
  • Jason Reynolds – composer
  • Hedi Slimane – photography
  • Jared Swilley – bass, composer, featured artist
  • Andrew Teems – composer, guitar
  • Sean Thompson – bass, guitar
  • Curtis Whitehead – bass
  • Caleb Williams – trumpet

Charts

Chart (2014) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[12] 156
French Albums (SNEP)[13] 82
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[14] 43

References

  1. 1 2 3 Carroll, Jim (January 23, 2015). "Curtis Harding: Soul Power | Album Review". The Irish Times. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Wright, Jake (January 13, 2015). "Curtis Harding - Soul Power". The 405. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Jamin, Jen (April 29, 2014). "Q&A: Curtis Harding Talks Gospel-Fueled Solo Debut 'Soul Power'". Spin. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 Deming, Mark. "Curtis Harding: Soul Power". AllMusic. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Jonze, Tim (January 15, 2015). "Curtis Harding: Soul Power review – well-crafted but over-reverential". The Guardian. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 Battleground, Andrea (May 24, 2014). "Curtis Harding, Soul Power". The A.V. Club. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 Leconte, Julia (May 1, 2014). "Curtis Harding - Soul Power". Now. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  8. ↑ Grow, Kory (May 14, 2014). "10 New Artists You Need to Know: May 2014". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  9. 1 2 3 Toland, Michael (April 22, 2014). "Curtis Harding - Soul Power". Blurt. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Soul Power by Curtis Harding". Metacritic. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Curtis Harding: Soul Power - Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Curtis Harding – Soul Power" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Curtis Harding – Soul Power". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Curtis Harding – Soul Power" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
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