Albums to watch

Black Velvet

Charles Bradley

Black Velvet

Posthumous release from the R&B/soul singer featuring songs recorded during sessions from his previous three albums

ADM rating[?]

7.8

Label
Daptone
UK Release date
09/11/2018
US Release date
09/11/2018
  1. 10.0 |   Evening Standard

    Bradley’s voice could flatten mountains and will be missed
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  2. 9.0 |   American Songwriter

    This closes the book on Bradley’s brief career, and does it with the class, honesty, integrity and intensity he brought to everything he touched
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  3. 8.5 |   Under The Radar

    It's a groove from beginning to end, and much like Bradley's musical career, Black Velvet doesn't fail to appeal to listeners both young and old. His talent and spirit will be sorely missed
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  4. 8.0 |   musicOMH

    It showcases Bradley’s strongest talents, and is just as good as any of the records he released when he was alive
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  5. 8.0 |   PopMatters

    One more time for the Screaming Eagle of Soul. Charles Bradley's Black Velvet stands tall as a significant addition to his oeuvre
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  6. 8.0 |   Q

    Although comprised of offcuts, it amounts to a great fourth and final record. Print edition only

  7. 8.0 |   Uncut

    The most heart-wrenching selection are a ravaged take on Nirvana's "Stay Away" in which Bradley intuitively taps into Kurt Cobain's roiling anguish, a tonsil-shredding full-band rendition of "Victim Of Love" and the instrumental "Black Velvet," which Brenneck had earmarked for a Bradley vocal he was too weak to sing. Print edition only

  8. 8.0 |   Exclaim

    Bradley's death from cancer in September 2017 released the American soul singer from pain and suffering. To be cliché about it, the music lives on
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  9. 8.0 |   God Is In The TV

    I can only raise a glass to the guy on his birthday, and say well played Daptone Records for providing this amazing talent with a home
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  10. 8.0 |   The Music

    Bradley’s fourth and final album is the perfect goodbye to one of soul's most underrated voices
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  11. 7.5 |   Spectrum Culture

    A near-perfect closing statement
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  12. 7.5 |   A.V. Club

    Black Velvet pays poignant tribute to late soul singer Charles Bradley
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  13. 7.0 |   Tiny Mix Tapes

    That someone like Bradley could soldier on against all odds should shame us into doing better
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  14. 6.6 |   Pitchfork

    A year after the soul singer’s death, the label that gave him a third chance collects his stray tracks, shaping a showcase for his incredible versatility
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  15. 6.0 |   Mojo

    It's no surprise that there isn't the immediate drive of 2011 Daptone debut No Time For Dreaming, it the energy and cohesion of follow-ups Victim Of Love (2013) and Changes (2016). But Black Velvet's appeal grows. Print edition only


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