Silk Sonic - An Evening with Silk Sonic

𝐀 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐎𝐮𝐭 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 (𝐓𝐨 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐬) - 𝐀𝐧 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐤 𝐒𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐤 𝐒𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜

Once Leave The Door Open was released, I think most of us knew the album was going to be 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐙𝐈𝐍𝐆. Out of this world. To Mars, even. Two performers whose music had showcased their showman abilities - one trending towards a boastful, funky sound, and another trending towards a silky neo-soul aesthetic, both of which were heavily inspired by retro styles. The album really couldn’t have gone wrong, even if they wanted to.

The album is drenched in the sound of smooth soul, as it wears its pop-funk influences as frequently as Andy wears his “unneeded for necessity, needed for swag” sunglasses. 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐤 𝐒𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨 sets the stage for the show for “tonight”, although looking at the running time, the album is shorter than Joe Biden’s pauses between his speeches. 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 and 𝐏𝐮𝐭 𝐎𝐧 𝐀 𝐒𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞’𝐬 ballad/slow-tempo aesthetic build one major pillar. 𝐅𝐥𝐲 𝐀𝐬 𝐌𝐞, 𝐒𝐦𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧’ 𝐎𝐮𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐰 and 777 provide a playful switch. 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐒𝐤𝐚𝐭𝐞 and 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐎𝐟𝐟 deliver silkily yet boisterous performances. It’s hard to pinpoint a particular way this album sounds, but then again, it further shows the diversity.

Sonically, Bruno and Andy might’ve never sounded better. The shared spotlight brilliantly magnifies each’s strengths while adumbrating their weaknesses. It is nearly impossible for Bruno to sing for 4 minutes and still make listeners engage, so Andy’s sprightly charisma can perfectly relay on. It is hard for Andy to be consistent throughout in his vocals, so Bruno’s showstopping singing can help with that. You pair gin with Fanta, and you get a drink less spirit-challenging and less overtly-sweet. Ultimately, the album gets the best of both worlds.

While it is necessary to point out that both Andy and Bruno fit each other like a hand in a glove, it is crucial to mention that it is apparent that some of the songs are specifically suited for either act. 𝐅𝐥𝐲 𝐀𝐬 𝐌𝐞 is perhaps the most Paak-sounding song ever - A bouncy beat, a mischievous melody, as Paak skips and dances along with the instrumental like he did here: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pEATRC4KRA) 𝐏𝐮𝐭 𝐎𝐧 𝐀 𝐒𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞 plays to the strengths of Bruno - vocals headed straight for Mars (I will not stop). It is perhaps such a phenomenon in the album that further illustrates how solid this record is - They could do tag-teams or let one shine brighter, and the songs still come out absolutely wonderful.

This is perhaps the prime example of a collaboration that you didn’t ask for but desperately needed. Honestly, This partnership makes so much sense - Two performers whose recent music had illustrated their showman abilities, while Paak hopes to appeal to the wider pop audiences, and Bruno hopes to appeal to the dedicated audiences, both of which sought with great attempts. With the combination of the two and the audiences they cater to, I think both of them nailed their ambitions to a tee. Even more so, in a world of crises where people seek nostalgia in any way possible, Silk Sonic’s amazing take on the Stevie Wonder/Motown/(the wonderful) Bootsy Collins sounds emerges to widespread tastes. A collaboration straight out of a fever dream, silk Sonic is now THE realistic candidate for Album of the Year.