Description

Otherworldly heartbreak soul of an almost transcendent emotional power 5/5 MOJO LEAD REVIEW.

In the words of Mac DeMarco: Eddie Chacon is planet earths number one musician. Yesterday, today, and forever.

The soulful singer had a worldwide hit with 1992s Would I Lie to You, but he was dropped and his musical partner died. Now, he has poured his pain into a cathartic comeback album

#44 IN UNCUT BEST ALBUMS OF THE YEAR 2020 A masterful record of adventurous electronic R&B

Eddie Chacon experienced proper, peak-nineties acclaim in the soul duo Charles and Eddie: they scored a global No. 1 in 1992 with Would I Lie To You, appeared three times on Top of the Pops, and featured on soundtracks from True Romance to Super Mario Bros..

Produced by John Carroll Kirby, the like-minded artist and collaborator with Frank Ocean and Solange Knowles, it features restrained percussion from Kanye Wests Sunday Service drummer Lamar Carter. Celestial soul as a break from chaos, these are quietly challenging songs as timeless as they are contemporary.

By that time, Chacon had already been navigating music in interesting ways, all the way back to his teen garage rock band with the late Cliff Burton (Metallica) and Mike Bordin (Faith No More). In the late 80s, he released a full-length on Uncle Luke from 2 Live Crews label and signed to Columbia as a solo act. He was a working artist, always popping up in unexpected places: through the course of his career, Chacon would write, sing, or produce ten Top 40 hits around the globe.

Years ago, Chacon retired from music for a second calling as a fashion photographer and creative director. In an interview at the time, he said, I was fortunate to have a 35-year music career and felt that there wasnt that much more for me to say or achieve. Very thankfully, thats no longer the case. Private experiments, far from the major-label center he once frequented, began to feel urgent and new. Theres nothing more exciting for me than getting to start from the beginning again, he says today.

Pleasure, Joy and Happiness will be available July of 2020 on the boutique Los Angeles-based label Day End Records. This is a thoughtfully considered album of quiet, confident R&B: it doesnt jump out at you, but rather gets in you.

What a rare and cool challenge it was for me to help Eddie re-emerge after a long hiatus, says John Carroll Kirby. I was excited to produce a record for him that captured the chill, laid-back wisdom and easy vocal mastery he has that you dont see that much these days.

Lead single My Mind Is Out of Its Mind finds a deep groove to try and contain spiraling heartbreak, while the sweet and wobbly Trouble balances the delightful near whisper of the title track Pleasure, Joy and Happiness. But even the projects lightest moments feel sincere and mature. Altogether: a truly unifying release, coming from a man whos earned the right to share such a regal, romantic sound.

I used to think to myself, Chacon says, if I ever make a record again, Id want it to be a record youd have to be my age to make.