Album Review // El Michels Affair // 24 Hr Sports
4/5 stars
On their fifth studio album release (not counting two Wu-Tang Clan and an Issac Hayes tribute albums) El Michels Affair presents, in peak coolness, the best cinematic soul album of the last decade. Bandleader Leon Michels plays most of the instruments on 24 Hr Sports with some help from a wide array of musicians. Michels has produced records for Norah Jones and Chicano Batman, as well as performed as a member of Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Menahan Street Band, and The Arcs (with Dan Auerbach from the Black Keys). 24 Hr Sports plays like much of his other works, with a few short interludes reminiscent of early hip-hop records, intermingled with songs that feature up-and-coming artists as well as some veterans, including Brazilian singer-songwriter Roge on "Magica," Ghanaian singer Florence Adooni on "Say Goodbye," and legendary jazz saxophonist Rahsaaan Roland Kirk on "Take My Hand." Other songs like "Clean The Line" and "Shining" showcase a hip-hop beat with a smoothness perfect for relaxing on a beach. This is a fantastic party album – upbeat, yet subtle, for fans ranging from Bob James to Childish Gambino.
