Distorted Soul Reviews

Oooh, That's My Song... and other leisure-time musings
By Keith Chandler
The Source 2004: The Official Newsletter of Brothers United Nashville
Vol. 6, Issue 47 (July/August/September 2004)
www.brothersunited.com

Review of Distorted Soul 1.0

A good friend of mine recently placed in my hands a copy of the latest CD by Jonah Nadir Omowale called "Distorted Soul". If I am interpreting Mr. Omowale's intentions correctly he is using that term to help the listener identify his particular musical style. I would call it pro-black, thinking folks music. And that's NOT a bad thing. If you listen to the radio these days, you can't help but wonder what today's black pop is saying about our culture, our motivations, our hopes, and our dreams. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I don't tap my foot to some of it but I think it's also healthy to listen to music that has a little substance to it. "Distorted Soul" is a perfect example.

"Distorted Soul" is the kind of music you might actually go to a nightclub to hear: varying in style with familiar and accessible themes (the state of the Black community, male/female relationships). The inside of the CD case mentions that NADIR's music is a fusion of rock, soul, and funk. His compositions do touch these genres with varying degrees of success. My personal standout is "The Low Road". Mainstream R&B/Neo-soul fans might not get this one but if you liked Badu's "Penitentiary Philosophy", by all means dive into this one first. Definitely black rock at its best.

Romantics should close their eyes and just listen to "All Over You". This cut brings all those good feelings about being with that special person and wraps them up nicely without falling into today's trap of being explicit. Marvin Gaye's thematic influence shows up on "Sanctified", another ode to love that illustrates how the language of the sacred can easily be used to describe the pleasures of physical love. "Queen of Sheba" is a refreshing ode to the beauty of black women that does not rely on unnecessary references to specific body parts or activities. Nadir even throws in a little somethin' somethin' for acid jazz fans. "Superstar" is just the kind of cut that's played in the hippest clubs. Upon closer listening, blackexploitation flick fans will hear some familiar sounds: an interpolation of "Escape from the Pimpmobile" by Issac Hayes. His commitment to the Black community is underscored by his use of interludes to frame the music. A lot of contemporary artists use interludes and a lot of music fans HATE them, but these are short and the language is perfect to frame the music, so don't skip them.

There are some less than stellar musical stops ("Leave It Alone"), but they really don't mean much. This is some great music that works in multiple contexts: the nightclub, the car, and the bedroom. How many current CD's can you say that about? If NADIR's CD is any indication of the R&B product that is to come from Nashville, we might just look up one day and see a focal point for the next great wave of popular R&B. In summary, go and pick up "Distorted Soul" if you like good, grown folks music.

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