Eli "Paperboy" Reed
emphasized how his 2016 album
My Way Home
brought him back to his roots, underscoring the point with its very title.
99 Cent Dreams
, its 2019 sequel, proves how true that assessment was. Working once again for
Yep Roc
,
Reed
stays focused on retro sounds and vintage vibes, drawing deeply from the Southern-fried sounds of Memphis but adding some sick uptown grooves reminiscent of both the Windy City and the Motor City. A former hotshot guitar slinger,
reins in his solos throughout
, pushing song, and especially sound, to the forefront. He's particularly unapologetic about his pining for the past, making a direct allusion to
Curtis Mayfield & the Impressions
' "People Get Ready" on "Coulda Had This" and otherwise playing upon shared memories of classic soul from the days before disco.
has a knack for easy-gliding melodies and the smarts to keep his songs tight -- nearly half of the album clocks in at under three minutes -- which helps keep
cooking at a steady simmer even when it veers a little bit toward the tidy. Perhaps that's the inevitable byproduct of adhering too closely to the past -- everything winds up falling into its right place, with no allowance for accidents -- but even with this slight airless tendency,
does deliver some potent throwback thrills. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine