Legendary neo-soul artist Maxwell has just released Lake By The Ocean, marking his first new material in seven years.
Worth the wait?
Absolutely.
Although his career has spanned a full two decades, Maxwell fans have perpetually been left hungry. In those 20 years, four platinum selling albums have been released, the last being BLACKsummers’night in 2009. Needless to say, many assumed that was it for Maxwell’s musical output. That has all changed with the announcement that a fifth, similarly titled BlackSUMMERS’night, set for a release on the first of July. It’s the second in an album trilogy, indicating that a third, no doubt titled Blacksummers’NIGHT, will also be coming out some time in the future.
The news has been gurgling away for some time. Back in 2014, Maxwell told Rolling Stone that he had been working on a fifth album for three years. He then went on to announce that the album was to come out in late 2015, but as we obviously know, it was not to be.
Finally, after years of rumours and hints, it looks like the wait may well be over.
My album blackSUMMERS’night will be out 7.1! Get Lake By The Ocean now on @AppleMusic! https://t.co/EY4CgVqHXU pic.twitter.com/YNC12Lgwd7
— MAXWELL (@_MAXWELL_) April 8, 2016
The news has also come along with a US tour announcement, and a seventeen-minute live stream Facebook video, where Maxwell acknowledges the long delay, plays the song from his phone and answers questions from fans about influence, themes, fame and more.
Lake By The Ocean is an instant soul classic, with a real timelessness to its gorgeous melody. The pristine production, smooth groove and velvety melody make for a really beautiful new track.
BlackSUMMERS’night comes out on July 1 2016.
Image: Fanart