The Neville Brothers’ latest release, Valence Street, features music that is as fluid as their beautiful voices. While each song has its own distinct style, the entire album is purely Neville. Aaron, Art, Charles, and Cyril have created a work that draws the listener in progressively as each song unfolds. They exhibit their twenty-three years of experience and talent through music that is at once gratifying and thought provoking. You need only to listen to this album to see why they have been so successful.
Valence Street is one of the most diversely crafted albums that I have ever heard. You hear everything from the signature emotion evoking Neville love song, as in “Until We Meet Again”, to the triumphant horns and vocals of “Real Funk”, which is reminiscient of their past work as The Meters, to “Mona Lisa”, a song from Wyclef Jean’s solo album that featured the brothers. This album is refreshing in this day of music that often seems mass produced. I felt through listening to these songs the true appreciation that the Neville’s have for their music.
While other acts usually bring the music to the listener, the Neville’s bring you right into the music. “Give Me A Reason” and “Over Africa” are my favorites and both illustrate this point. There is no denying, no matter your realm of musical interest, that this album is lovingly crafted. Listen to it in its entirety before making any judgement because while each song is strong enough to stand on its own, the whole that they create together is what is truly impressive. My words cannot adequately grace the engulfing depth of Valence Street; the Neville’s will instead speak for themselves.
+ alissa shugats
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