Loc’d in consciousness, the new album by the British artist SALT is a project that could easily take a back seat amidst all the bombastic, shiny stuff that the music industry puts before our eyes and lets seep into our ears. And it would be a shame because Loc’d in consciousness is a record brimming with virtues that I keep hearing modern R&B lacks.
These virtues begin with the voice of SEL. Anyone looking at SEL’s biography wouldn’t be surprised at the polish she brings to the game. This biography includes serving as a backing vocalist for legendary British R&B band Soul II Soul and working with a who’s who of talented artists , including Alicia Keys and Omar. SEL possesses a soft voice that seems to float above and move through the music and brings intimacy to songs, and this can be heard on slower tempo tracks such as “Falling”, his duet with Bryan Chambers, “My Point of View” and its cover version of “You Gotta Be”.
SEL also deftly handles high-tempo tracks such as the uplifting “Be Your Sun,” a track that finds her adopting the same conversational tone she uses in “You Gotta Be.” In “Be Your Sun,” SEL encourages listeners to talk about life to themselves. The title of the album gives a hint of what SEL sees as the inner growth and self-care mission of this project. It can also be heard in a track like “Elevation”, which is a mid-tempo funk number where she urges young women and men to trust the gifts they possess to take them to higher levels.
SEL is an artist who has been on our radar for a while. Listeners know her stage name is an acronym for Soulful Emma Louise. It’s always good when an artist embraces the identity of being a soul singer. It’s even better when they have the goods to back it up. Recommended.
By Howard Dukes
#Locd #Consciousness #Review
