So Dry To The Bone

Rox “My Baby Left Me” – Rox is part of the Mark Ronson-verse, and so you know what you’re getting here: Strong, assertive vocals; a direct, immediately ingratiating melody; an approach to soul music that marries the aesthetics of 60s/70s Motown and Stax to modern post-hip hop chart pop. I’m not 100% certain whether or not Ronson is responsible for “My Baby Left Me” — it definitely sounds like one of his productions — but either way, I’m pretty sure that it’s the best song to come out of his aesthetic since “Rehab.” Rox’s song may not have the TMZ zeitgeist factor going for it, but the tune certainly comes across with an uncommon blend of urgency and stylish grace. A lot of the piece’s appeal comes from its comfy nostalgia factor, but much like Lauryn Hill’s Miseduction album, the familiarity is there to evoke a sort of post-modern romanticism, and imply a state of mind that is sentimental about every moment of beauty, whether it was fifty years or five minutes ago. (Click here for the Rox MySpace page.)