CHARLES BRADLEY
The "Screaming Eagle of Soul” Announces the
Release of Second Album
VICTIM OF LOVE
Out April 2 on Dunham/Daptone Records
Most
artists appreciate their audiences, just as many are grateful for them, but few
artists love their fans as much
and as sincerely as Charles Bradley.
“I want them to know how much they have helped me grow," says Bradley when discussing Victim
of Love, the follow up to his
widely praised debut album No Time For Dreaming. The 64-year old “Screaming Eagle Of Soul” is set to release
the 11-track set April 2 on Daptone Records imprint Dunham Records.
By
now, Bradley’s remarkable, against-all-odds rise has been well-documented
– how he transcended a bleak life on the streets and struggled through a
series of ill-fitting jobs – most famously as a James Brown impersonator at
Brooklyn clubs – before finally being discovered by Daptone's Gabriel
Roth. The year following the release of No Time For Dreaming was one triumph after another: a stunning
performance at South By Southwest
that earned unanimous raves; similarly-gripping appearances at Bonnaroo,
Austin City Limits, Newport Folk Festival and Outside Lands (to
name just a few); and spots on Year-End Best Lists from Rolling Stone,
SPIN, GQ, Paste and more.
Victim
of Love is a continuation of that
story, moving past the 'heartache and pain' and closer to the promise of hope. Where
the last record opened with the apocalyptic "The World (is Going Up in
Flames),” Victim begins with the
“Strictly Reserved for You,” a
track where Bradley grabs his girl, jumps in a car and hits the highway for a
romantic getaway. "You Put The Flame on It" sees Bradley backed by a horn chart that sounds
like it was lifted from a lost Four Tops single. And on “Victim of Love,” the track that lent the album its name, Bradley
sings over a gentle acoustic guitar, "I woke up this morning, I felt your
love beside me.”
The
new album also brings a broader musical scope. Where Dreaming hewed close to the rough-and-ready R&B sound
Daptone has become known for, Victim is stylistically more restless, edging closer into the kind of
psychedelic soul The Temptations explored in the early '70s. "People are
not going to expect this. There's a lot of psych influences on this record, a
lot of fuzz guitar," notes Thomas Brenneck of Menahan Street Band, Bradley's producer,
bandleader and co-writer. "Confusion” most exemplifies the new direction of the album, opening with an
echo-drenched vocal and charging rhythmic cadence.
The
album’s closing track "Through the Storm" best summarizes Victim’s message. Over a deep gospel groove, Bradley
expresses his gratitude – to his fans, his friends and to God – for
their support, their dedication and their devotion. "When the world gives
you love," he sings, "It frees your soul."
This
is the new message of Charles Bradley, the Bradley who has emerged from the
heartache stronger and more confident, overflowing with love to share. This is
Charles Bradley, victim of love -- gratefully returning the joy that has been
given to him.
Victim of Love Track Listing
01 - Strictly Reserved For
You
02 - You Put The Flame On
It
03 - Let Love Stand A
Chance
04 - Victim Of Love
05 - Love Bug Blues
06 - Dusty Blue
07 - Confusion
08 - Where Do We Go From
Here
09 - Crying In The Chapel
10 - Hurricane
11 - Through The Storm
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