Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Philadelphia-born Liquid is a hot producer who's worked with Petey Pablo, Out Of Eden and Grits. Now he delivers an album of his own and what a turbulently eclectic and hugely impressive set it is. Nimbly fusing Latino-tinged R&B with old school hip-hop beats, and '70s soul with pop rock and reggae 'Tales From The Badlands' is a restless journey through whole vistas of styles and colourings. Check out the dreamy Spanish "One Time" and the solid funk groove "Crazy" complete with sassy horns and a lead vocal that could almost pass for Curtis Mayfield interlocked with a rapped plea to give the relationship one more go. Then there's a delicate piece of sweet soul "Good To Be Back" with a heartfelt prayer of gratitude to God, or, my favourite, the lilting floater "Sunrise". Liquid has a winning way with melodies that stay in the mind and grooves that venture outside the box of stylistic rigidity. So whether it's Latin, R&B or hip-hop that floats your boat, you need to investigate this intriguing musical statement.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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