Cee-Lo – Is A Soul Machine

Artist: Cee-Lo

Title: Is A Soul Machine

Label: Arista

Rating: 8/10

Corporate Line: Cee-Lo Green holds certain truths to be self-evident. That music has the power strike that, the obligation to enlighten, entertain, educate and elevate. That music can liberate and celebrate humanity. That music rules the world. Those truths and the undulating messages that Cee-Lo imparts are loud and soulful on his sophomore solo manifesto Cee-Lo Green Is The Soul Machine. Says Cee-Lo, “My contribution always has integrity and substance. There’s always soul and the machine is my efficiency to deliver it without it becoming product. Soul is the connection between us all, all music is derivative of soul, so.. I do soul music.”

The Good:
“The Art of Noise” f/Pharrell – Cee-lo has a flow that pours like honey. Is it the funk or soul that you dig the most—why bother trying to figure it out?
“I’ll Be Around” f/Timbaland – Hit single, plain and simple. Whether Cee-Lo was reaching for a hot track or not he found one.
“Living Again”– “1,2,3,4, what that hell are you waiting for?” Buy the album already.
“Soul Machine” – A short, but hot gospel and soul melody.
“My Kind of People” – Cee-Lo brings in the brass section to expand upon his melodic gift.
“All Day Love Affair” – Sure Cee-Lo gets sappy, but if it helps the world make babies how bad can it be?
“Die Trying” – Sexy as hell.

The Average:
“Childz Play” f/Ludacris – Tight flow—missing the same spirit as the first seven songs. You have to expect some drop off after such a hot start.
“Glockapella – “I’ve been running since ‘Rock Box’/ I’ve cocked glocks and locked blocks/ And rocked rocks in drop-tops” Okay, but its not the same Cee-Lo we’ve been feeling throughout the record. Not exactly soul machine style.

The Ugly:
“Sometimes” – “Sometimes you fail trying” and this spoken word track does exactly that.

Frankly: Cee-Lo goes from gangster to preacher in a drop of a dime. Soul Machine really is the rare gem that needs more than one listen. If you love Outkast there is no reason you won’t love Cee-Lo. The only issue is there are eighteen tracks which are five to many. Otherwise this just might be the hottest release yet this year.

+ CC Morris