Album Review: Isaac Eady - AMPONSAH

Isaac Eady

AMPONSAH

***and1/2 out of *****

The newest solo effort from the New Orleans based Isaac Eady is a culmination of his life's influences as a variety of sounds and styles color AMPONSAH. Self produced, the engaging record digs into funk, rock, R&B, ballads, hip hop, jazz and more.  

Most known these days as the drummer/percussionist in Tedeschi Trucks Band, Eady anchors the groove on this album, but also lends his voice to the proceedings. Arriving without a credits list, the host of musicians who worked with Eady seems robust. 

Opening with "Rose Colored Glasses" Eady uses 80's pop as a basis but drops heavy bass and drums, anchoring the tune while washes of synths and flutes float through. Eady's slightly skewed vision of modern, jazzy R&B is a unique sound on the rolling "Beautiful Things" while "Love and Gratitude" keeps that slightly distorted jazz background and adds various MC's to the mix for rhymes and vocals. 

The album's centerpiece is the nuanced "Honest Mistake". Layers of percussion, piano, synths, swirl to start while jazzy trumpet builds excellently. The driving rhythm pushes things forward while the extended outing flows with lots of cinematic brass lines to wrap up in dramatic fashion. 

Eady's current hometown comes into play multiple times on the record. New Orleans hip hop and trap influences flow through the skittering programmed beats and horns of "Where U Wanna Go" while the wah-wah guitar and deep funk grooves around horn lines color "D Fonk". "Oughta Be" is the best of this bunch with rolling second line percussion, dynamite brass, cool guitar lines and fun piano. 

Less successful is "The Road" which uses a a light Caribbean flair but remains one note, running on too long while the straight love song "On My Mind" is better as heartfelt singing from Eady with smooth backing vocals and muted brass convey the direct message. Bass rumbling and distorted vocal warbling plays a bit like TV on The Radio during "Kansas" as Ju9cey is featured before  the record closes on a high note with the funky drumming of the jazz guitar laced "Stay Gold". 

AMPONSAH plays like a musical diary from Isaac Eady, who let's his multiple influences and talents shine through. 

________
Support the artist, buy the album and peep some video below: