Omar – Brighter The Days
It’s been 35 years since “There’s Nothing Like This”, Omar’s groundbreaking debut which still keeps on spinning in our Barbalala playlist of alltime favorite tracks. And 8 years after “Love In Beats”, his last album for Freestyle Records, Omar returns with his first album for BBE, the double LP “Brighter The Days” with 16 new tracks (if you don’t count the Intro and an Interlude). It’s a very rich album in terms of production and arrangements and with the signature warm and thick voice still unimpaired. “This Thing Called Life” is the perfect opener. A sort of typical midtempo Omar tune with lots of soulful textures and idiosyncratic layers. I usually skip the three tracks which feature rap, all of them with a great and steady groove though: “Won’t Let You Down” with K.ZIA and The Swag, “It’s Gonna Be Alright” with Scratch Professor” and “We Can Go Anywhere” with Giggs. But that’s easy to bear with so many pieces on offer. Actually, there is a fourth one closer to the end of the set, see below.
With a sample of “Adventures In The Land Of Music”, the 1980 anthem by Dynasty, “I’ve Been Waiting” is another surefire winner. The title track has this swampy blues-like touch to it with Omar smoothly wrapping his voice around the brass-led tune. I still very much dig “There’s Much Love In The World” (is it?), one of the several singles which had been out prior to the album’s release. It’s a beautiful piece with lush, Michel Legrand-type strings by the Urban Soul Orchestra, arranged by Chris Cameron. It is meant to remind us that the good actually outnumbers the evil or, as he says in the liner notes: “There are so many more things that connect us as opposed to driving us apart.” Things turn slightly more into the R&B world here with “Lovey Dovey”, which features Eric Roberson and Raheem DeVaughn and boasts with another irresistible hook.
Canadian singer, songwriter, producer and arranger Honey Larochelle graces the sweeping and forcing “Research”. And Paul Weller guests on “On My Own”, which sounds like a Motown track from the 60s, complete with the siren horns and stylish backing vocal drips. The two pretty much gel on this piece which also features great drum work by Daru Jones. And the mighty Ronnie Foster plays the Hammond organ! The album is full of special guests. Don-E is there on the very short interlude “Out Of Sight”. And another previously released single, “Can We Go Out”, still radiates big time. Its mesmerizing groove and incredibly driving and catchy rhythm features Lex Cameron, his longtime musical director. After another satisfying romp through “Latin Salsa”, the one and only Ledisi helps out on “Holding On To Life”, another unmistakably gorgeous Omar jam. This pretty varied collection also has the breakbeat-ish “Much 2 Much”, a piece with rapper Jeru The Damajah (“1234”), and the album closer “Love Is Like”, which features the “long time no hear” India.Arie, sounding better than ever on this positive and optimistic tune.
