"Use the talents you possess, for the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except the best." - Henry Van Dyke
I have been listening to Maxwell’s new joint off & on, then on & off and right back on again. As a matter of fact, this went on for roughly 11 days straight…and my review is still a wee bit muddled. First and foremost, this nigga can BLOW!! And honestly, what more would one require from an extremely dope lyricist, whom by even the most average account, is a song writing machine? Ah, if it were only that simple.
Maxwell is on another planet when it comes to making memorable melodies — and that certainly has not changed. Add a near decade-long layoff and fans of this “liner notes lion” won’t critique this one very lightly. I was savagely eager to cut the plastic seal on Black Summers’ Night — all the while marinating on what I already knew Maxwell is capable of cooking-up... and this approach was a sure recipe for disaster. Trust me, you will be better served feasting on this methodical (three-part)mystery like you gorged on other (domestic) new artist debuts from Jill, India, Erykah or D’Angelo. Impossible approach in this case? Perhaps? But you’ll thank me for that tip later.
If you make the mistake of thinking urban hair Maxwell, you will be in for an “on/off” spin cycle that you may never untangle. As it stands “Playing Possum” is my absolute favorite track on this LP—possibly ever by Max.. but I've been told that I tend to exaggerate from time to time. Not this time... Come back from the dead
You left my, my heart here
Say what you will and won't forget
Express disappointment, speak your regrets, yeah
Or baby call out my name, I'll be where you are
I'll be very still, step down to my heart and mend this broken
If only you'd wake up from your constant possum playing
If only you'd wake up
I'm begging you sugar, have some leniency
Call the president and ask him baby, to pardon me and bring you back to me
Oh, oh, oh, oh oooooh
Amend this broken
If only you'd quite this nonsense of your possum playing
If only you'd…..
This song takes a very, very long and deliberate approach to begging, and I mean BEGGING for a resolution to a relationship that left an everlasting scar right across the heart! Then, after two minutes and 50 seconds of complete pleading, some live horns join the track to underscore Max’s pain and sorrow. Clearly I haven’t the faintest idea who the girl is that crushed his heart, but I’m pretty sure she’s awake and drafting an apologetic retort. That is unless she is getting some really bad legal advice.
Maxwell owes no one the slightest act of contrition for the first of this love trilogy, but I may be in the minority in that assessment. Naturally, I don’t want you to take my word for it, especially since he took nine premeditated, reclusive—almost introspective tracks to do so himself. If I could draft a new category to put this one in, it would be something along the lines of Complicated Soul.
If this is the worst of Maxwell, it is still WAY better than anything on your local radio station right now. That is unless the Michael Jackson tributes are still spinning. And, if that’s the case, even Maxwell will understand your spin cycled patience… I think he's earned at least that much.
(dim the lights and click on blog title)
One Love,
Ray Lewis
