TRACK OF THE DAY: On the cusp of releasing his upcoming sophomore set, Blackmagic (due out March 9 in Canada), crooner José James is refining his effortless mélange of jazz, soul and hip-hop sensibilities. "Made For Love," produced by leftfield beat maestro Flying Lotus, is a testament to that fact. Given the unconventional musical approaches both musicians often employ, it's actually surprising to hear the track's head-nodding immediacy.
Flying Lotus keeps things busy with a variety of experimental noises throughout that defer to his Dilla-influenced groove in the mix, while James, with more than a hint of Gil Scott-Heron evident in his raspy voice, gets all amorous on his most accessible track to date.
Fans of James's debut, The Dreamer, needn't fret by the subtle change in his sound displayed here. Judging by other Blackmagic tracks currently playing on his MySpace page, the raw artistry on that record is still evident, just honed and improved.
Watch the video for José James's "Made for Love" below.
Flying Lotus keeps things busy with a variety of experimental noises throughout that defer to his Dilla-influenced groove in the mix, while James, with more than a hint of Gil Scott-Heron evident in his raspy voice, gets all amorous on his most accessible track to date.
Fans of James's debut, The Dreamer, needn't fret by the subtle change in his sound displayed here. Judging by other Blackmagic tracks currently playing on his MySpace page, the raw artistry on that record is still evident, just honed and improved.
Watch the video for José James's "Made for Love" below.