Sunday, Oct. 14, 2012
Chazz Dixon
Emotional Therapy (Time Boy Music)
The latest album by Milwaukee R&B man Chazz
Dixon is both generous and frustrating. Production by DJ Payday takes the
synthetic minimalism of today's urban pop to almost skeletal extremes; the
difficulty comes in understanding whether those sounds are intentionally edgy
sonic pioneering or something screwier, born of restrictions in budget and
creativity. What Dixon and Payday may be on to is a revival of the early-’70s
man-and-keyboard school of soul akin to Timmy "Why Can't We Live
Together" Thomas, albeit with updated technology and more of an emphasis
on lovey-dovey concerns. Though that approach sometimes comes close to aural
entropy, Dixon's voice is a saving grace. At his best, he comes on like Smokey
Robinson in his swooning tenor prime, though often with a more idiosyncratic
way about his romantic intentions. Emotional
Therapy is best taken in measured doses.



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