Just You And Me, Baby

Charles Bradley “Strictly Reserved for You”

Charles Bradley’s voice falls somewhere in the gap between a lot of the best male soul singers of all time – a bit of James Brown, a bit of Otis Redding, a bit of Al Green, a bit of Syl Johnson, and on and on. The downside, if there is a real downside to that, is that he can seem more like the idea of a soul singer than a distinct character in his own right. The upside, though, is that his range and mix of influences can be the best of all worlds. I think that’s certainly the case on a cut like “Strictly Reserved for You,” which runs through a lot of tricks and tics to put across this incredibly warm song about wanting to hide away from the world with the one you love. There’s no arrogance to this performance – it’s just a guy with a lot of talent and very little fame pulling out all the stops to convey a simple, sweet feeling.

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