Black Pumas - 'Mrs Postman'
Seven-time GRAMMY nominees Black Pumas return with their second track from the upcoming album Chronicles of a Diamond (out 27 October via ATO Records/[PIAS]). Mrs Postman sees the band join forces with JaRon Marshall on keys, the first time the band have co-written with another musician. Black Pumas have taken another huge step froward, with this single being accompanied by a playful new music video directed by Amos David McKay (Who previously collaborated on a live session of Colours, the stand-out track from their last album).
This collaboration really pays off, the prominent keys with their beautiful old “dumpy” tone match the sweet (yet slightly haunting) vocal harmonies. Composition-wise they’re never static, themes and ideas repeat themselves, but are underpinned by an inconsistent undercurrent, each verse having it’s own particular phrasing. This is sweet soul music, offset by jaunty, jazzy shifts away from the songs centre. Don’t be put off by the ‘J word’ though, these are only momentary meanders into space, not some sort of free jazz. Much in the way that lo-fi artists use subtle (or sometimes not-so-subtle) detunes, Black Pumas use unexpected chord changes to slightly jar the listener, though they often return to a relatively safe space.
Adrian Quesada (Producer/Songwriter/Guitarist for the band) deserves great plaudits for this one, the instrumentation is purposefully busy, as such he’s had to find space around the music. The bass has had the bottom taken out, leaving it fairly thin but distinct and prominent. The filtered vocal keeps the voice up front and prominent, accentuating the soulful tones of frontman Eric Burton (who also shares songwriting and production credits, along with Quesada). There’s also a sense of psychedelia nestled within, somewhat warped and anxious, drifting into the angelic.
This is progressive soul (if such a thing exists), sonic references to the past spliced with modern leanings and production techniques. Black Pumas are on a trajectory of their own, after two singles following on from their self-titled debut, we’re getting a sense of what might come. If these two tracks are anything to go by, we won’t be referring to them as “GRAMMY nominees” for much longer.
Words by Harry Jones
