Charles Bradley, “The World (Is Going Up in Flames)”

For one reason or another, Charles Bradley’s excellent Daptone debut No Time For Dreaming failed to attract my attention this year on its first release. Thanks to Aquarium Drunkard’s year-end list of notable records, I’ve seen the light. The album opens with an absolutely killer retro-soul, slow burner, “The World (Is Going Up In Flames).” Charles Bradley’s vocals are spot on ragged excellence, and the disjointed lines add to the overall message of the lyrics. The piano has a great mournful lope to it, and the rest of the band adds to the killer bounce that the piano drives along. Though “The World” is certainly a highlight, the rest of the album doesn’t disappoint, packing more of the retro-soul jams that are making Daptone a recognizable sound in the industry these days. Check out the official video for “The World” below, as well as a sweaty live video of late album gem “Why Is It So Hard” from KEXP’s 2011 SXSW broadcast.

Charles Bradley, “The World (Is Going Up In Flames)” (from No Time For Dreaming, 2011)