Black Pumas / Black Pumas
Album: Black Pumas   Collection:General
Artist:Black Pumas   Added:Oct 2019
Label:Ato Records  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2019-10-23 Pull Date: 2019-12-25
Week Ending: Dec 22 Dec 15 Dec 8 Dec 1 Nov 24 Nov 10 Nov 3 Oct 27
Airplays: 2 2 1 1 2 2 3 2

Recent Airplay
1. Jan 27, 2024: Hanging in the Boneyard
Colors
4. Sep 23, 2022: Hanging In The Bone Yard
Fire
2. May 16, 2023: Up the Beanstalk
Colors
5. Sep 05, 2022: Exploring the ulA-file
Colors
3. Mar 20, 2023: Hanging In The Boneyard
Fire
6. Jul 14, 2022: Hanging In The Boneyard
Fire

Album Review
DJ Stace
Reviewed 2019-10-08
Album / Artist: Black Pumas / Black Pumas
Label: ATO

Reviewed: 10/8/2019
DJ Stace

General Comments / Release Notes
Stax-a-rific! Motown-licious! This is Old School R&B at it’s best. Killer instrumentation, smooth as sweet cream vocals and grooves that will have you humming, whistling and singing for the next 6 months.

Release Notes:
“The creative partnership between Grammy Award-winning guitarist / producer Adrian Quesada and 27-year-old songwriter Eric Burton. Voted Best New Band at the 2019 Austin Music Awards.”

FCCs: none
RIYL: Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, Sharon Jones, Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, listening to the Dead President’s sndtrk on repeat.
Play: All, Especially: 1,2,4, but really, just throw at dart at this one and play whatever it hits.

Tracks:
1. **** Black Moon Rising 03:41 - Begins with a drum roll, as if to say “Here comes the R&B Circus.” Midtempo head nodder with a great groove, and Barton’s stellar vocals and falsetto riffs it’s way through a slinky masterpiece. “All she want’s to do is groove, right on baby…” You’ll be singing this one for years.
2. **** Colors 04:06 - Killer little acoustic guitar riff starts off with a jangle, breaks into a killer rim-shot rhythm and doesn’t let go of you. Soulful, new, retro. Midtempo, handclaps, backup vocals are great. A couple of great little interludes make this one more complex that you might expect.
3. *** Know You Better 04:09 - Veering into Marvin Gaye territory with instrumentation and arrangement. Sweet and smooth, with a killer highhat rhythm, spare use of reverbed guitar reminiscent of Isaac Hayes “Walk on By” highlights moments.
4. **** Fire 04:06 - mid-Uptempo, foot stomping booty shaker from the get-go. Horns and a staccato rhythm punctuate a killer set of phrasings and lyrical flights. And, that killer guitar riff in the refrain.
5. *** OCT 33 04:49 - 12 string guitar strumming intro gives way to midtempo 70’s production with strings, etc… nods to Otis with the Fa, Fa, Fa,… and Mayfield’s Cinematic flair.
6. *** Stay Gold 04:35 - This mid tempo groove has a Marvin Gaye flavor to it. Burton shows fantastic range, from Baritone to Falsetto.
7. *** Old Man 03:17 - Mid to uptempo. Addictive little guitar riff and highhat rhythm, throughout.
8. *** Confines 03:09 - Mid to uptempo with great keyboard work and a great/spare guitar solo. 70’s radio perfection.
9. *** Touch The Sky 04:27 - Great intro with dirty little acoustic blues guitar breakdown, slides into satin sheets with the rest of the instrumentation. Great brass.
10. Sweet Conversation 03:22 - Slow tempo, Acoustic and pastoral. Birds chirping, light clicks and slaps for rhythm. Reminiscent of the simple acoustic tunes Bob Marley would throw down every once in a while.

Track Listing
1. Black Moon Rising   6. Stay Gold
2. Colors   7. Old Man
3. Know You Better   8. Confines
4. Fire   9. Touch The Sky
5. Oct 33   10. Sweet Conversation