Contrary to the look of its cover and its title,
Down to the Lowest Terms: The Soul Sessions
isn't a bundle of previously unreleased recordings that pre-date
Steve Arrington
's emergence with
Slave
. Nor is this set of all-new material overtly retro. Seven years on from
Higher
, the funk legend's collaboration with
Dam-Funk
, he returns to
Stones Throw
with an album that bears some likeness to a mixtape, fueled by varied (if aesthetically linked) productions from a large, funk-inclined cast. The musical support comes from the immediate and extended
family -- artists labelhead
Peanut Butter Wolf
either backs or simply admires. While
's gliding man-and-machine grooves were more of a natural fit for
Arrington
than the majority of these collaborators, it's fascinating to hear the singer pushed in other directions as he sticks with his familiar themes of uplifted wisdom, faithful gratitude, romantic affection, and all-around positivity. From radically manipulated samples to original compositions played by live musicians, no particular method suits
best here. The highlights fall across the spectrum. "Love Is Gone," featuring a characteristically smudged and lopsided beat from
Knxwledge
, sounds like it could be a remix of an outtake from 1985's
Dancin' in the Key of Life
.
taps into the lovelorn emotion he exuded in
's "Wait for Me." Later, he leans into the wilder, shuffling "Make Ya Say Yie" -- the other
production -- with such force that he sounds like he's in the vocal group heard just under him. On "My Favorite Swing,"
Rejoicer
's
Apifera
plays delightfully tricky fusion that one might associate with Brazilian jazz demigod
Flora Purim
rather than a Dayton funkster, but
displays his aptitude for making like a horn player with his freewheeling scatting and crooning. Other bright moments include the slow-motion grimace-inducer "Soulful I Need That in My Life" (
Jamma-Dee
), the strutting "Make a Difference" (
Butcher Brown
DJ Harrison
), and the glowing "The Joys of Love" (
Mndsgn
and
Devin Morrison
). The latter could pass for a lost
Soulquarians
session.
, after all, is a water sign. ~ Andy Kellman