Allen Stone’s rise has been steady and somewhat inevitable, but with Radius his sound has a resounding authenticity that all but cements him as a devotee and purveyor of soulful music with a message.
Perfect World opens the affair with a gospel vibe, complete with handclaps and group harmonies. Stone favours that vintage soul feel, heavy on the groove and heightened by a genuine vocal performance. While the production flourishes on Guardian Angel or the most pop-leaning cut on the album Freedom, it works best when Stone is marrying the two, like on the humble, slow jam of Circle or the funk slap of Upside.
Where Stone truly excels is in the juxtaposition of his optimism with his some of his more biting tracks. He acknowledges white privilege and materialism in American Privilege with its stinging opening line, “It doesn’t seem right / that I was born white.” Later altering the vivid, multi-dimensional trip with the open-hearted streak of positivity that is Love.
It’s this dueling nature that makes the album feel all the more real, and provides a more accurate reflection of the human experience. Radius is an all-encompassing statement from an artist who feels all the same pain that we do. Yet Stone chooses to depict these universal experiences with a sprinkle of optimism, delivering a soothing remedy for said pain.
BY IAIN MCKELVEY
