Rahsaan Patterson - 'Wines & Spirits'

Rahsaan Patterson is one of those artists who's perpetually bubbling under the surface: despite putting out some very good Soul music ever since his 1997 debut album, he's never quite achieved the level of success - or even name recognition - that a man of his talent deserves. And that trend continues on his fourth album, Wines & Spirits, a terrific Soul album that would probably have topped the charts in the 1970s, but is unfortunately out of tune with the contemporary music market. But despite not fitting in with current music trends, Wines & Spirits is a fresh, enjoyable Soul album that leaves you wanting more.

Rahsaan Patterson's new-school Soul isn't for everyone, but anyone who's a fan of Prince's more funky songs, or Raphael Saadiq's material (group or solo) will be sure to enjoy and appreciate Wines & Spirits. Rahsaan even evokes comparisons to those two artists on some songs on the album, especially the sexy "Feels Good," (which, coincidentally, is also the title of a hit by Saadiq's old group, Tony! Toni! Toné!).

The highlight of the album by far though, is "Oh Lord (Take Me Back)," a passionate gospel-funk hybrid on which Rahsaan, a New York native, sings about wanting to return to back his roots: "Take me to Harlem, where I was born. All the way back to '74 ... Oh Lord, take me back, oh Lord."
Rahsaan normally sings in a high-octave, laid-back manner, but on this song, he sings with an incredible strength and sense of immediacy, and with such a gritty, lower-octave passion that the track definitely stands out as not only one of the better songs on the album, but one of the better songs of 2007, by any artist, period. Among the album's other great material is the sophisticated ballad "Stars," and "Stop Breaking My Heart," which, despite the title, is not a remake of the Mint Condition song of the same name.

If there's any drawback to the album, it's that it doesn't reach its evident potential. Although there's not a single bad song on the album, not all songs are compelling, either. Everything, from the singing, to the live instrumentation, to the lyrics, are all good - sometimes great - but other than "Oh Lord (Take Me Back)," there's no instantly addictive tracks that immediately force you to listen to them over and over. Despite that though, on the whole, Wines & Spirits is definitely an above-average album that proves once again that some of today's best R&B/Soul music is made by under-appreciated artists.