Album Review: Maxwell – BLACKsummers’night (2009)

Album Review: Maxwell – BLACKsummers’night (2009)
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Potholes

Eight years.  That’s how long it took for Maxwell, the man who wanted to get to know us on Now to drop his newest release, BLACKsummer’s Night, the first in the trilogy of series that was originally supposed to be more or less a triple disc set released by Columbia (his 4th album).  What we don’t know is what he’s been through.  While the reality of it was that he just wanted to be a normal person, its what brings this first of three series to a fever pitch, one that is of a darker magnitude lyrically, and something that brings back why he was missed during his absence.

There is a lot of emotion, and its Maxwell’s vocals that bring those emotions to life, especially when everything kicks off on “Bad Habits”. This near six-minute insidious jam is lustful, it almost passes for some kind of between-the-sheets anthem with Maxwell clearly reciting in the bridge, “You’re my bad habit baby,” repeatedly asking “will you forgive me?”  Meanwhile on “Cold”, it seems more about the chase and getting what he wants, and professing his love, with the female in question giving the cold shoulder, only to give in to intuition, as the band plays on, stuttered and staggered, but still jamming nonetheless.  Once “Pretty Wings,” the current lead-off single hits, Maxwell emerges as a lover scorned and in turn, the one causing the heartbreak as well, leaving remnants such as when he says “your face will be the reason I smile,” and making revelations such as “I should’ve chose you/Better nights, Better times, Better days/…and I miss you more and more.”  The production side doesn’t miss a beat, being as airy as an arrangement can be until the second movement hits when the horns firmly trumpet the end.

The gratuitous theme of “Help Somebody,” flips the concept the other way around, with the production being sinister, the horns deep, the pianos stark and sparse, and Maxwell’s vocals begging, needing assistance to be the better man, to be the better person in the relationship, while “Stop the World”, professes Maxwell’s love for this person, and beckoning how Maxwell and this woman are going to “we’re about to stop the world tonight, we ain’t got no worries, no battles…”. Whereas “Love You” is him wanting to live up to the expectations of this lover.

“Fistful of Tears” and “Playing Possum” are how he wants to stop the quabbles and conflicts, while the closing song, “Phoenix Rise”, is a full force band jam.  While it is the addition of several things to the music (the horn section being more prominent, Maxwell’s lyrical themes of darkness in times of romance), it is definitely those elements that have recast Maxwell as a more well-rounded artist.  It will be interesting to see where the other two parts of the trilogy (blackSUMMERS”night and blacksummers’NIGHT) take Maxwell, but after hearing this, it is safe to say without hesitation: Welcome back Maxwell.