About

Having recorded two superb albums of understated contemporary soul with keyboardist and producer John Carroll Kirby, Eddie Chacon changed direction by connecting with Nick Hakim for his third one. Going into the two-year making of Lay Low, Chacon told his new collaborator -- who had previously remixed the Pleasure, Joy and Happiness finale "Above Below" into percussive, dubbed-out funk -- that he was going for "hazy and sensual" with "darkness, but there's light to be found if you search for it." In other words, as those familiar with Hakim's solo records and production work might hear it, "Do you." It's no shock then that Hakim proves to be a compatible partner on Lay Low. It's murkier and more psychedelic in relation to Chacon's preceding LPs while remaining grounded in leisurely paced, intensely contemplative R&B.

The singer was processing the death of his mother, and several songs regard a faltering relationship that isn't specified. There's one uptempo number. "Empire" is a low-slung disco-funk weeper with a touch of Here, My Dear-era Marvin Gaye (and Kirby on synthesizer), where Chacon sounds relieved to have found a right way to express long-simmering doubt. He seems to be eyeing a fresh start, and it's a reprieve from the grim prospects conveyed elsewhere. On "Let the Devil In," he's practically overcome with grief, gently piercing when he confesses "It's tearing me apart" in falsetto. "End of the World," one of a couple songs with washed-out Philly soul flourishes, is weary if comforting as Chacon expresses hopelessness. "Good Sun" sets the grieving tone as Chacon addresses his mother with "I just miss you home," bereft in his head voice over drums that plod in a way that indicates stupefaction. Like Kirby, Hakim has a thing for vintage-sounding mechanical rhythms, and the spare and effective way they're utilized helps lend sonic continuity between Chacon's 2020 and 2023 albums. The key throughline, of course, is the sound of Chacon's voice -- an instrument that pacifies no matter the states of uncertainty and distress the purposeful lyrics indicate. — AllMusic

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Label: Stones Throw Records
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo
Released: 2025
Genre: Funk / Soul
Style: Contemporary R&B, Neo Soul

File under: Stones Throw Records
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