Black Pumas share new song ‘Angel’
American psychedelic soul act Black Pumas have shared their latest single, ‘Angel’.
Taking a step back from the silky grooves and swirling production style that characterizes most of their work, ‘Angel’ is a simply acoustic folk ballad that puts singer Eric Burton at the forefront. Sure, there are gospel backing vocals and organ lines like past Black Pumas songs, but Burton is the real star of the tack.
“I remember feeling overwhelmed by everything going on with my family and the neighbourhood I was living in and hoping to find sanctuary in the actual voice of an angel,” Burton explained about the song in a statement. “There was a laundromat nearby that served as a quiet place for me, and that song started to come to me as I stared into a still-life painting of flowers.”
It’s a wonderfully refreshing side of Black Pumas, one that shows off their diverse range of emotions and styles. Whether that’s Burton or Adrian Quesada on the delicate acoustic guitar with a bit of old-school Latin-infused finger-picking to round out the song’s arrangement, it’s a wonderful addition. Burton played it on the live version, but either one could have taken it in the studio. All told it’s a softer and starker side of the duo.
That being said, ‘Angel’ isn’t exactly a “new” song. Nearly a full year ago, Black Pumas dropped a live version of the song on their YouTube page. It’s been a part of their sets for a while now, so it’s not exactly going to be a surprise to fans or followers. Still, it’s their “newest” single, so it’s all well and good.
Do we all remember when Black Pumas’ debut was nominated for ‘Album of the Year’ and ‘Best New Artist’ at the Grammys back in 2020? That’s the kind of thing that leads to shouts of “industry plants” these days… mostly because Quesada is an industry veteran who had two Grammy nominations in his back pocket when Black Pumas hit the scene. In other words, Black Pumas were in danger of being overhyped and undersold from the very beginning.
But now that they’re coming back with their second record, Chronicles of a Diamond, audiences are getting to hear Black Pumas on their own terms without the funk of the Recording Academy propping them up. And you know what – they’re pretty darn good. I’m leaving my doubts at the doorstep on this one and looking forward to Chronicles of a Diamond, and I think you should, too.
Check out ‘Angel’ down below. Chronicles of a Diamond is set for an October 27th release.
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