If Charles Bradley reminds you of a James Brown impersonator it's because he was one for many unsung years. Years that he worked as a handy-man, and lived in relative squalor only to be discovered decades later by Gabe Roth, label head behind the Brooklyn-owned and run Daptone Records.
All lives are marked by tragedy, but Bradley's seems especially torn by grief. But it's that hardy resolve, that seemingly got him through some bad turns, that makes his voice and his timbre so powerful. Add to it, that partnered with Daptone, Bradley is making revivalist Soul that sounds about as good as the original thing, and it becomes no surprise that even Rolling Stone is knocking at his door.
Stripped from his upcoming sophomore album Victim of Love, "Strictly Reserved For You" carries with it a sentiment that feels reserved for any love-struck heart. It's what made late 1960s Soul so wrenching and everlasting. Expect big things from this 62-year-old.
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