Music: Black Pumas – Black Pumas

Black Pumas are relatively new soul and funk band hailing from Austin, Texas. It is led by the creative partnership between Grammy Award-winning guitarist / producer Adrian Quesada and 27-year-old songwriter Eric Burton. Their new album Black Pumas is my first introduction to the talented group, and I was blown away by the true retro and old-school feel to this release.

A lot of the music is reminiscent of old 60s and 70s soul and funk music. The smooth and impeccable fuzzy guitar leads, basslines, smooth keys and synths throughout the album are stunning. The gorgeous vocals on “Fire” are pretty phenomenal. The colourful keys on “Know You Better” are stunning as well, with beautiful, soulful vocals that just bring such energy to the music. The grooves and melodies throughout this track as well as others such as “Old Man” and the blues heavy “Touch The Sky” are sublime. The guitar leads throughout are brilliant, and touch on themes of love and personal growth among other things. The moodier and more reflective tone of the closing track “Sweet Conversation” is beautiful as well, with guitar-driven grooves. It’s amazing to hear such beautiful, soulful and powerful energy coming from this group of musicians, as they explore eclectic soundscapes throughout the 10 track album.

Listen to the amazing self-titled album Black Pumas below via Bandcamp and don’t forget to support! Released via ATO Records.