Eddie Chacon, of course will always be most famous as one half of the duo Charles and Eddie, who had a worldwide smash with the remarkable ‘Would I Lie To You?‘ way back in 1992. Sadly, Eddie Pettigrew was taken far too soon when he succumbed to cancer in 2001 at the tender age of 37. Chacon though, belatedly returned to the music world five years ago and has steadily been releasing quality low-key soul records since, with Lay Low being his third full-length.
My first thoughts, upon hearing this, were “Whoa! This is way more downbeat than I was anticipating!” and I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it, but when you learn that the whole thing is based upon the feeling of grief from losing his mother, then the full weight of its sense of melancholy makes a lot more sense. That’s not to say that the album is depressing in any way – the title track, indeed, is one of the most gorgeous things you’ll hear all year, on par with some of Marvin Gaye‘s most affecting, tender recordings.
‘Empire‘ is also a more uptempo moment, music-wise, at least, lying somewhere between The Commodores and Earth, Wind and Fire, which is a winning combination that gives you a real warm glow inside. Perhaps the full impact of Chacon’s grief, though, can be located in the lyrics to ‘Let The Devil In‘ (in which the spirit of Prince is very much alive), as he laments: “I’m so worried, worried, worried, baby, worried, baby / Lately I’m holding onto dear life, baby, dear life, dear life / I know I’m thankful for, I know I’m thankful for / I been places that I never been, places that I’ve never been.” It’s the sound of a man at the depths of uncertainty as to which direction his life might take from this point on, and even though it’s been nine years since his mother passed, it’s delivered in such a powerful way that we can all relate to, making this one of the true standouts on Lay Low.
So although Eddie Chacon’s latest long player might be a pensive one, it’s also a very warm record, in which he reflects upon the good times, but always with that sense of loss, relating to someone who was clearly a truly loved family member.
Dim the lights, lie back, and let this music entwine itself around you. It’s soul food.
Lay Low is out now on Stones Throw.
