ALBUM REVIEW: Boulevards Mixes Old-School Funk and Modern-Day Angst on ‘Electric Cowboy: Born in Carolina Mud’

If you’re ever consumed by an uncontrollable urge to hear funk landmarks like Cameo’s “Word Up” or Gap Band’s “Party Train,” Electric Cowboy: Born in Carolina Mud might be just the ticket. The fourth album from North Carolina’s Jamil Rashad, who records as Boulevards, this mighty set is awash in satisfying old-school elements, yet never feels nostalgic, mixing pleasurable sounds with a bracing dose of modern-day angst for a riveting listen.

Rashad’s previous albums revealed a man in search of the right approach, dabbling in electro-funk, pop-soul, and other lighter styles that left him appearing unsure of his identity. With Electric Cowboy, he’s found the perfect collaborators to spotlight his bad self, enlisting Blake Rhein from Durand Jones & The Indications and Colin Croom of Twin Peaks to produce as well as play many of the instruments and write most of the songs with him. Leisa Hans and Ashley Wilcoxson, veterans of sessions at Dan Auerbach’s Easy Eye studio, add gospel-streaked backing vocals.

The result is a perfect showcase for Rashad’s suave crooning, revealing a singer of effortless ease, whether he’s confronting devastating heartbreak or roiling in existential dread. Emphasizing the low end, Rhein and Croom fashion dense, murky textures to transform Rashad into a ghost in the mix; what might initially seem like a mistake has the curious effect of drawing attention to him. Though wrapped in fat rhythms and cool riffs, his brooding charisma comes through loud and clear.

Every track boasts evocative, affectionate touches. “God Bless Ya (Be Thankful)” rides a whomping beat reminiscent of Al Green’s Hi Records classics, while the woozy “Time” blends gently chattering guitars and shimmering vibes with a grace Curtis Mayfield would have envied. The leisurely “Problems” even tosses electric sitar and steel guitar into the stew.

Amidst this joyous craftsmanship, Rashad embodies crushing desperation occasionally tempered by tantalizing hints of relief. “Better Off Dead” imagines what would happen if Ernie Isley’s burning guitar encountered Booker T.’s righteous organ licks, even as Rashad recruits Nikki Lane for a chilling duet on the horrors of addiction.

Featuring an exuberant drum figure inspired by James Brown mainstay Clyde Stubblefield, “Ain’t Right” finds him reduced to a spooky whisper, “barely hanging on,” and the dreamy “Hooked” portrays obsessive desire as a “bad habit.”

If Electric Cowboy: Born in Carolina Mud flirts with hopelessness, it also offers catharsis the way a great blues song can, finding solace in the honest act of testifying to the reality of struggle. As Rashad sings in the elegant “Together,” he’s “trying to make it better … let’s hold ourselves together.” Having finally made an album that does his talent justice, here’s hoping he continues to evolve. In any case, deep melancholy has rarely been so funky.