Just a month in and it already looks like the ever musically prolific city of Philadelphia is on course to enjoy another vintage year.
With Jill Scott still riding high and hot newcomers like Bilal set to make a big impression, the first high profile new offering to reach these shores from the city comes from Musiq Soulchild.
Having sold a quarter of a million copies of his debut album in just two months in the States, 'Aijuswannaseing' arrives on European shores under the weight of heavy expectation. Striving to straddle the line between afrocentricity and somewhat more, shall we say, R Kelly sentiments, Musiq's debut is a slightly confused and confusing confection.
There are exceptions but the Soulchild sound has neither the subtly of D'Angelo or the dynamic of Destiny's. Yep, it's heavy on the luurve jones but you don't exactly feel the sweat.
Even D'Angelo producer James Poyser disappoints on a couple of his contributions. What could have been a fascinating collaboration - the Poyser produced 'My Girl' that features co-production, keys and programming from Philly electro-soul innovator Vikter Duplaix - is good but disappointingly conventional.
In fact, the track that bumps the best, is the brief 'Musiq Soulchild (Interlude)' on which the man addresses the dissenters that claim his style is either 'too clean or too crowded'. It's also as close as he really gets to that hip hop influence his publicity people would love to hook him up with.
Musiq reckons that there's a renaissance going on in soul and he may just be right but he'll have to dig deeper to join the exalted ranks of Erykah Badu and D'Angelo.
