Raphael Saadiq

To be honest, this whole current pop gravy train of ’60s soul pastiches has just about worn out its welcome. In the case of indelible soul man Raphael Saadiq, however, classic soul revival has been his bread and butter for more than a minute now, and for his latest trick the unabashed showman reaches all the way back to the sweet old days of Smokey Robinson’s Miracles for the aural meat of new set The Way I See It. With the exception of the hip-hop-influenced drum break of closing cut "Sometimes” and Marvin-esque "Never Give You Up,” Saadiq practically nails the generally inimitable Motown studio sound, from the characteristic drum builds, subtle guitar licks and overall live-to-tape feel right down to the obligatory tambourine claps. Even his voice is matched to those of the era, floating lightly on the swinging "Love That Girl,” buoyed by the typical backing vocals of pleading slow dance "Calling,” making plain that if you’re gonna rehash the old, you might as well do it right.