ALBUM REVIEW: Black Pumas Shine Up Their Sound for ‘Chronicles of a Diamond’
Corbie Hill
Posted On October 25, 2023
“Tomorrow” dawns gradually.
In another context, the tambourines and patient three-count drums would give this Black Pumas slow burner an R&B slow dance feel, but a phaser-soaked electric guitar pulls it toward ’70s psychedelia while sparse synth bass bursts pull it toward Radiohead. “All I want to do is see / everything there is to see / out on the edge of tomorrow,” Eric Burton gently confesses. “Put me on the road less traveled / lightly now back in the saddle.” As “Tomorrow” builds, Burton pushes his voice harder and harder, moving from soulful croon to gospel ecstasy. In the last minute, a relentlessly fuzzed guitar solo erupts through the gently swaying ballad.
On 2019’s self-titled debut that brought this Austin duo meteoric success (ND review), Black Pumas drew from wide-ranging sources to create a coherent rock ‘n’ soul sound. Songwriter Burton and producer Adrian Quesada plumbed this mine even deeper on the new Chronicles of a Diamond, which introduces a number of fresh touchstones. Atlanta hip-hop, summery pop, garage-rock, noise, electronica — it’s all in there, building upon an already impressive foundation as Black Pumas evolve.
The crisp, peppy “Ice Cream (Pay Phone)” is a solid example of the many flavors Black Pumas mix on Chronicles of a Diamond. Chiming guitar and ice cream truck jingles ride atop funk drums as Burton sings about calling his baby and promising he won’t stay gone long. This summer jam — which, let’s be honest, isn’t really about ice cream — is tied together by Burton’s double-dutch chant of a chorus. The pacing and piano line of “Mrs. Postman” nod to DJ Shadow, while the staccato psych-rock menace of “Gemini Sun” implies latter-day Flaming Lips backing up CeeLo Green, whose voice and intensity Burton echoes without copying.
“Motivation / innovation / inspiration / temptation / rock and roll,” Burton half-sings, half-preaches, his voice awash with delay, in cryptic closing track “Rock and Roll.” It opens with a piano flourish reminiscent of OutKast’s “B.O.B.” and moves into raw, choppy psychedelia as Burton contemplates the romance of rock music while pointing out the cracks in its facade. “I’m the writing / on the wall,” he intones. “On the big screen / my guitar.” Quesada’s guitar crackles, effects noise builds, and this psychedelia-forward album ends with chaos and cacophony.
Chronicles of a Diamond is an unpredictable, often surprising listen by an innovative soul-rock-etc. duo — a worthy second chapter for Black Pumas.
Black Pumas Chronicles of a Diamond is out Oct. 27 on ATO Records.
