Harding, Curtis
Vinyl Records and Rare LPs:
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Face Your Fear
New - LP - 87537-1
Sealed 2017 Gatefold, Standard Black Vinyl Press. "Curtis Harding's Debut Album, 2014's Soul Power, Was A Strikingly Confident Work That Demonstrated He Was One Of The Smartest And Most Gifted Artists To Emerge From The Retro-soul Scene, A Vocalist And Songwriter With A Respect For The Past And A Vision Of The Future. It Turns Out Harding Was Just Getting Started; His Second Full-length, 2017's Face Your Fear, Is An Even More Ambitious Set Of Material, An Exercise In Psychedelic Soul That Feeds From A Wide Range Of Sounds And Influences While Still Reflecting The Mind And Soul Of Curtis Harding At Every Turn. While The Production And Arrangements On Face Your Fear Are Clearly Informed By Classic R&b And Funk Sounds Of The '60s And '70s, Along With The Trippier Edges Of Psychedelic Soul, Harding And His Studio Collaborators (Who Include Danger Mouse And Sam Cohen) Never Seem To Be Reaching For Some Sort Of Northern Soul Completists Mindset; Instead, They Use The Evocative Textures Of Vintage African-american Music As A Jumping-off Point For Harding's Heartfelt, Steet-smart Tales Of Love, Regret, Family, And The Pains And Joys Of Everyday Life. Harding Is A Terrific Singer Who Can Deliver Full-bodied Performances In His Normal Range (Check Out "Need Your Love" And "Go As You Are" If You Need Convincing) And Also Slip Into A Falsetto That's Just The Ticket For Numbers Like "Ghost Of You" And "Dream Girl." (He Even Lets The Two Play Off One Another On "Till The End," In Which He Portrays Both Halves Of A Combative Couple.) Curtis Harding Can Write And Sing Like A Soul Man With A Mind Of His Own, And Here He Sounds Even More Open, Expressive, And Fearless Than He Did On His Very Fine Debut. Face Your Fear Ups The Ante For Harding, Bumping Him From Promising Newcomer To Major Artist, And If You Like Good Songs Played And Sung With True Conviction, You Won't Want To Sleep On This." AMG Review By Mark Deming.
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If Words Were Flowers
New - LP - 7691-1
Sealed 2021 Original Gatefold, Black Vinyl Edition. "Curtis Harding Makes Music That Exists In Both Past And Present. He's Proudly Informed By Vintage Soul And R&b Sounds Of The 1960s And '70s While Showing Love And Respect For Contemporary Hip-hop And Possessing A Mindset That's Tuned Into The World In 2021. Harding's First Two Albums, 2014's Soul Power And 2017's Face Your Fear, Were Outstanding Works That Confirmed He Was As Talented As Anyone In The Retro-soul Community, With The Addition Of A Visionary Outlook And Songwriting Skills That Set Him Apart From His Peers. Harding's Third Lp, 2021's If Words Were Flowers, Finds Him Going From Strength To Strength, With A Set Of Tunes That Deliver An Emotional Impact While Finding Him Continuing To Stretch His Musical Boundaries. The Rich Bass, Echo-laden Guitars, And Layers Of Percussion Are Familiar From His Previous Releases, And Harding And Producer Sam Cohen Have Added Lush String And Horn Arrangements And Massed Vocals On Several Numbers That Boost The Atmospherics, Reinforce The Psychedelic Undertow Of The Melodies, And Give The Music A Feeling Of Thematic Unity That Adds To The Effectiveness Of The Material, Individually And As A Suite. Much Of If Words Were Flowers Was Written And Recorded During A Time Of Unrest And Uncertainty In The United States, And Without Calling Out Specific Political And Social Themes By Name, It Plays Very Much As A Product Of Its Time, With Harding Using Love As A Metaphor To Discuss Human Understanding And Compassion As Well As Its Absence (Especially On The Cool But Impassioned "Where Is The Love"). The Arrangements Often Nod To The Conscious Funk And Soul Anthems Of The Late '60s And Early '70s, Both In Their Taught Grooves And The Mingled Moods Of Hope And Confusion. And Harding Continues To Impress As A Vocalist, Delivering Strong, Authoritative, And Perceptive Performances On All Eleven Tracks. Harding Drew The Title If Words Were Flowers From The Old Saying That You Should Give Flowers To Those Who Matter In Your Life While They're Around, Not After They're Gone, And This Music Is A Gift To A World In Need Of Some Loving Care; It's Never Sappy But Offers A Message Of Spiritual Succor To Those Who Need It, And It's A Great, Rewarding Listening." AMG Review By Mark Deming.
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