[Albums You Should Love] PJ Morton – “Gumbo”

Singer/musician PJ Morton released his anticipated album, Gumbo on April 21st. This is the singer’s debut album. Formerly of Maroon 5, he’s been constantly touring and building a solid fan base over the years. All of his hard work has paid off, because he doesn’t disappoint with these solid nine songs on this album.  “First Began” has a great piano intro, and groove going into the hook. It also has great string arrangement. He’s also giving 70’s styled rhythms with songs like, “Sticking to My Guns”. It’s very funky, with active upbeat drum licks. The lyrics are talking about staying true to the end. This song has a nice horn section, has a little hip hop edge to it, and also gospel chords. “Religion” is a warm and vibrant track with great lyrics talking about the different aspects, and concepts of religion that are problematic. He shows off his sweet vocals, harmonies, and phenomenal instrumentation perfectly on songs like, “Alright, “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” featuring The Hamiltones and BJ the Chicago Kid, and also “How Deep Is Your Love”. His versatility in songs like, “They Gon’ Wanna Come” and “Thru Your Phone” are remarkable. His embodiment of his influences (Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, etc) shines through on every song. This album is gumbo pot of New Orleans soul, and diversity of his musical taste while also aligning and highlighting his elite songwriting and musicality.

Gumbo is available now on all digital outlets.