If you dig Leon Bridges form a long queue. But Harding’s sound is a bit tougher, there’s more of a spread to what he is capable of reaching into.
There’s a metaphorical genius to the Curtis Harding sound that lands a million miles away from Motown or Stax. He’s a former backing singer for CeeLo Green and you can hear the Green sound in his approach a bit although Harding’s voice does not hit the stratosphere like Gnarls Barkley at all.
In Atlanta in the early 2000s Harding was part of the hip-hop group Proseed. He met singer CeeLo Green while doing promotion for LaFace Records, and he rapped on some songs off Green’s 2002 album Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections along with several Proseed members.
I as a jazz listener notwithstanding feel inspired listening to much of what’s here. It’s 4 years since his last album, If Words Were Flowers.
But Harding’s biggest song goes back to 2017’s Face Your Fear – the rampaging ‘Need Your Love’ has clocked up some 55m streams on Spotify alone.
Harding, 46, hails from Michigan and is Atlanta based. The lusher parts approximating symphonic soul here are enhanced by Doja Cat collaborator Steve Hackman’s string arrangements. The lost in space (captain Kirk star trekkin’ Curt Curtis wordplay geddit?) conceptual references don’t really amount to much. That isn’t an issue. You get a strong singer personality which is far more interesting than conceits to hang an idea on. ‘True Love Can’t Be Blind’ I love most, it’s strong for feel and lyrics. Also I’d pick out ‘The Power’ which has great mobility and stickmanship from the uncredited drummer plus I also dig ‘Hard as Stone’ which is very catchy and where Hackman’s strings respond brilliantly to the guitar licks.
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