Brimming with excitement of one who has now gotten back “in the world and set (his) spirit free,” the track throbs with catchy hand-clapping, a funky bassline and churning horns, giving the track a sense of positivity and danceability. “Ain’t It a Sin” is by far the grooviest and most conceptually clever of the tracks. Bradley’s deft vocals nimbly bubble up and around swirling horns, conveying expressive depth and range. It is a track that is so emotionally unhinged and raw it leaves the listener nearly on the verge of tears. “Changes,” the album’s title track, is a Black Sabbath cover dedicated to his deceased mother.

The synthesis of modernity and retro influences causes Changes to be his most successfully cohesive album to date. Taking cues from 1960s funk and soul, Changes is a modern day soul record - one that shouldn’t be lumped in with vintage albums, as it’s infused with the urgency and modernity of 2016. It is filled with narratives of love won and lost, lightly charged politics and a combination of modern and vintage sounds knitted together by The Extraordinaries’ instrumentation. Blessed with gritty and beautiful vocals, Bradley’s voice drenches every track with emotional intensity and dramatic range.Ĭhanges, Bradley’s third studio album, is one of soulful beauty. Yet he hasn’t lingered beneath the Godfather of Funk’s shadow, instead blazing a trail of modern soul music. At 67 years old, Bradley is what one could call a late bloomer - his first foray into music performing as a James Brown impersonator in the 1990s. Charles Bradley is an underdog whose tale is one of delayed triumph, success and solid inspiration.

Charles bradley changes album art