"Awaken, My Love!"

by Childish Gambino

"Awaken, My Love!"

by Childish Gambino

Vinyl LP(Long Playing Record)

$29.99 
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Overview

Over the course of a backpack's worth of mixtapes and a couple of albums that won him commercial success, if not critical acclaim, Childish Gambino (aka Donald Glover) staked a claim as one of the brainiest, weirdest, and most inventive rappers around. His 2015 EP Kauai widened his approach a bit, with Glover doing more singing than rapping in a hazy modern R&B style, showing off a voice so smooth that it's almost unfair that one guy can have so much going for him. While working on his new TV series, Atlanta, Glover and his longtime sidekick Ludwig Goeransson seem to have had some kind of musical awakening brought on by late-'60s dipped-in-psychedelia soul and early-'70s earthy funk. "Awaken, My Love!" has fuzz guitars, vintage synths of all kinds, burbling organs, grimy basslines, and masses of backing vocals adorning the songs; the influence of Sly Stone and George Clinton's various groups is strong, and Glover doesn't rap at all. He does use his voice like an acrobat, though, sometimes crooning sweetly, other times screaming like a demon. He doesn't have a classic soul singer's voice, but what he does have is personality and it comes through loud and clear, even through the murkiest moments of nasty funk. Glover and Goeransson construct the album like a soundtrack to a nostalgic trip, hitting all the sweet spots of that magic moment when funk and soul got truly odd and inspiring. Tripped-out ballads like "Me and Your Mama" and "Terrified" bump up against massive jams like "Riot" and "Boogieman," and totally oddball moments like "California" match up well with heartfelt songs about fatherhood ("The Night Me and Your Mama Met," "Stand Tall"), which give the album its heart. Empowering pop-soul songs ("Have Some Love"), gloomy tales of the entertainment biz ("Zombies"), late-night detours into true love ("Redbone") -- everything Glover tries comes off just right and every note on every song is perfectly placed. Goeransson and the tight crew of musicians must all be dedicated students of the era's sounds, and they play with controlled passion and fire. It's not an academic exercise by any means, though. The songs are all as memorable as Bootsy Collins' star-shaped sunglasses, and Glover's vocal gymnastics and impassioned delivery vault things past into more rarified air. It's true that the album owes a deep debt to the sounds that inspired it, but there are times when the music, voices, and words come together to make something that sounds owned by Childish Gambino alone. It's a departure, an update of the past, a statement of artistic intent from one of the true polymaths of the millennial era, but above all, "Awaken, My Love" is a stone-cold blast from beginning to end. ~ Tim Sendra

Product Details

Release Date: 11/10/2017
Label: Glassnote Entertainment Group
UPC: 0810599021900
Rank: 9374

Tracks

  1. Me and Your Mama
  2. Have Some Love
  3. Boogieman
  4. Zombies
  5. Riot
  6. Redbone
  7. California
  8. Terrified
  9. Baby Boy
  10. The Night Me and your Mama Met
  11. Stand Tall

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Childish Gambino   Primary Artist,Vocals
Steve Kujala   Flute
Zac Rae   Synthesizer,Organ (Hammond),Moog Synthesizer
Dan Higgins   Clarinet
Brent Jones   Choir/Chorus
Gary Clark, Jr.   Guitar
Julie Burkert   Flute
John Armstrong   Organ,Keyboards
Ludwig Goeransson   Bass,Banjo,Cello,Organ,Bottle,Guitar,Soloist,Keyboards,Wurlitzer,Percussion,Harpsichord,Synthesizer,Fender Rhodes,Piano (Electric),Synthesizer Bass,Vocals (Background)
Phillip O'Connor   Clarinet
Thomas Drayton   Bass
Donald Glover   Drums,Bottle,Vocals,Percussion,Glockenspiel
Ray Suen   Piano,Guitar,Synthesizer
Per Gunnar Juliusson   Piano,Fender Rhodes
Chris Hartz   Bass,Drums,Percussion,Fender Rhodes
Kari Faux   Vocals
Sam Sugarman   Guitar
Phil O'Connor   Clarinet
Sofia Hoops   Vocals (Background)
JD McCrary   Soloist
Lynette Williams   Organ,Clavinet,Organ (Hammond)
Brent Jones and the Best Life Singers   Choir/Chorus

Technical Credits

Bernie Grundman   Mastering
Zac Rae   Composer
Bootsy Collins   Composer
Chris Fogel   Engineer
Eddie Hazel   Composer
Gary "Mudbone" Cooper   Composer
Clarence "Fuzzy" Haskins   Composer
George Clinton   Composer
Bryan Carrigan   Engineer
Riley Mackin   Mixing,Engineer
Gary Clark, Jr.   Composer
Andrew Dawson   Mixing
Ruben Rivera   Engineer
Peter Rotter   Contractor
John Armstrong   Drum Engineering,Synthesizer Engineer
Ludwig Goeransson   Mixing,Composer,Producer,Programming,Mixing Engineer,Drum Programming,Executive Producer,Additional Production,Synthesizer Programming
Thomas Parish   Arranger,Woodwind Arrangement
Donald Glover   Mixing,Composer,Executive Producer
Ray Suen   Composer
Ibra Ake   Photography,Art Direction
Fam Udeorji   A&R
Chris Hartz   Composer
Sam Sugarman   Composer
Haskins Clarence Eugene   Composer
Hazel Grace Cook   Composer
bLAck pARty   Drum Programming
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