Changes
The difference between Charles Bradley and a so-called soul revivalist is that, for Bradley—who was 67 when the third and final album of his lifetime, *Changes*, came out in 2016—soul never died in the first place. Like the work of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings (whose affiliates the Menahan Street Band provide most of Bradley’s musical backing), *Changes* doesn’t sound like a lost ’60s album so much as a found one, retouched and dusted off, sonically saturated in a way that wouldn’t’ve been possible 50 years ago. And while Bradley spent years as a James Brown impersonator, his delivery has more in common with what you heard in the balladry of Otis Redding: pained and reflective (“Changes”) but resilient (“Good to Be Back Home”) too—the sound of everything to give and nothing left to lose.
The 67-year-old soul singer's third album on Daptone feels like his most straightforward and best to date.
Despite all of the changes, the reasons to fall for Charles Bradley remain constant.
Few things are more spiritually profound than getting a hug from Charles Bradley. He really means it, for one thing, and he…
With a remarkable voice that holds a million riveting stories, Charles Bradley continues his rise against all odds with his third album, Cha...
The story of Charles Bradley is a quintessentially American one. As chronicled in the excellent documentary Soul of America, he was down on his luck until he was discovered as a James Brown impersonator, becoming the unlikeliest of stars at age 65.
'Changes' by Charles Bradley, album review by Gregory Adams. The full-length drops on March 25th vis Dunham. Charles Bradley plays March 23rd in Athens, GA.