The Jack Moves – Cruiserweight [LP]

It’s always a remarkable experience whenever an album can create a place for you to get lost in and just float around in for a while. This is especially true if that place creates a sense of joy and nostalgia. The album Cruiserweight, from the modern-day disco-soul duo The Jack Moves, is just such an album. This is a record that finds a sweet spot when it comes to capturing the lush and lovely, string-laden sound of mid-70s-to-early-80s R&B music, yet still managing to sound fresh and contemporary (thanks in no small part to acts like Tuxedo and Silk Sonic).

Songs like “Lionel Richie“, “Somebody’s Watching You“, and “Six Ways” thoroughly capture the sparkling, high-sheen sound and spirit of that very distinct era in music while also managing to avoid sounding clichéd or cloying. Lead singer Zee Desmondes sounds as if he has studied at the feet of legends like Leon Ware and Norman Connors and producer/arranger Teddy Powell has managed to capture that sound so perfectly that it is hard to believe that this album was recorded in this century. The lead single “Seabra” (pronounce “say abra”) is a really sleek and stunning number that sounds as if it could’ve been a quiet-storm classic back in the day.

Other memorable tracks on the album include a thuddy boogie-funk number with a squelchy bassline and spacey synth riffs called “Biblical Technology“ and a pair of sweet Delfonics-ish gems called “Don’t Pretend” and “When You’re in Love“. There is a silky, almost dreamy quality to many of the tracks on Cruiserweight that makes it feel like a long-lost classic that has been preserved in amber and just unearthed. The album is so well produced and engineered it almost feels like a time capsule from another era, but there are also some modern flourishes here and there that keep the music sounding fresh and relevant. This work is a loving tribute to an important era in soul music and it should be enjoyed by anyone who is a fan of the genre.

You can listen to (and buy) the album via the links listed below as well as catch up on the latest music and news from Cruiserweight by making sure that you’re connected to them via the social links listed below.

Stream & buy The Jack Moves’ music on…
( Amazon | Apple_Music | Bandcamp | Deezer | Spotify | Tidal | YouTube_Music )

Connect with The Jack Moves on…
( Facebook | Instagram | Official_Site | Soundcloud | Twitter | YouTube )