Randolph Lonely Eden
Talented Detroit soul vocalist Randolph’s (né Paul Randolph) artistic resume defies easy classifications. He’s worked […]
Talented Detroit soul vocalist Randolph’s (né Paul Randolph) artistic resume defies easy classifications. He’s worked in funk, rock, blues, and electronic projects (with As One and Kenny Dixon, Jr.), and draws on a little of everything for Lonely Eden. “Claim,” featuring Motown force Amp Fiddler, has an almost gospel vocal urgency, as well as spirit-lifting B3 organ riffs. Elsewhere, a sophisticated ’80s-style pop R&B aesthetic informs the breezy “Believer” and brassy “Earth to God.” “Soul Brother” conjures Kool ‘n the Gang’s funk, while “Valentine” has echoes of Randolph’s turn with Carl Craig’s Innerzone Orchestra version of “People Make the World Go Round.” In the end, Randolph makes his myriad influences into a vocal paradise.