Write Me Back

Write Me Back is a smooth bit of retro soul that, if anything, deepens and broadens the historical explorations of its predecessor, Love Letter. It's a self-consciously classicist work, and Kelly uses it as an opportunity to flex his considerable vocal abilities in ways that evoke some of the giants of soul music. On “Lady Sunday,” Kelly writes a delicate love ballad that recalls the luxuriant textures of early-‘70s soul, and he even quotes the melody of The Spinners' “I’ll Be Around." Elsewhere, Kelly indulges in some impressive acts of vocal mimicry. His Smokey Robinson impression on the pained “Fool for You” is so dead-on that it'll have listeners wondering whether Robinson himself hasn’t dropped in for a cameo, while “All Rounds on Me” sees Kelly in full-on Ray Charles mode, attempting to resurrect the moment when R&B finally stormed the pop charts in the guise of early rock 'n' roll. Not all of Kelly’s musical tributes come off with the same grace, but for the most part Write Me Back is full of sensitively performed tributes to the golden age of soul and R&B.