The Drought is Over, Maxwell Returns with New Album
Finally, Maxwell breaks his self-imposed eight-year silence on July 7 with the long awaited release of BLACKsummers’ night, which features the balled “Pretty Wings,” performed on the 2009 BET Awards.
The Brooklyn native’s latest offering is the first of a trilogy of albums, blackSummers’night and blacksummers’NIGHT. Entertainment Weekly described the new album as a “powerful dose of heartbroken soul.”
Cover of BLACKsummers' night album / Photo: toyas-world.net
Echoing the musical sensibilities of Al Green, Maxwell is backed by a 10-piece band that caresses his rich and supple voice. While on hiatus, it seems the singer grappled with some existential angst while penning new tunes.
“The short version is, I am a bit of a perfectionist,” he told EW. “I was also questioning: ‘Is this who I am, going on stage and singing some songs? Do I do something stupid and juvenile, or am I doing something that helps the world? ‘I struggled with that.”
The struggle is over. His tour kicked off earlier this year, and he’s scheduled to headline the main stage at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans on Independence Day. Maxwell performed for the first time at the Macufe Music Festival in South Africa last October.
His debut album, Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite in 1996 bathed the airwaves in smooth retro grooves that have become neo-soul classics. The album earned Maxwell a Grammy nod for Best R&B Album and double-platinum certification by RIAA. The singer's most recent release, 2001's Now, marked his third studio album and debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200.
For a taste of BLACKsummers’s night, check out “Pretty Wings,” at www.myspace.com/maxwell.
--PGS Staff
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