Album Review: Charles Bradley - Victim Of Love

That voice. That unique, instantly recognisable voice. Charles Bradley, despite being well past the usual retirement age, is at the peak of his powers in 2013, and the reward for you, dear listener, is Victim Of Love. Eleven tracks, each lovingly put together by Bradley and his band of talented musicians, will take you from church to the dancefloor to heartbreak, leaving nothing behind.

Horns, keys and a funky-ass rhythm section provide the perfect base for Bradley's buttery voice. Even without his vocals over the top, as an instrumental soul record Victim Of Love would still be hot. I mean, come on, when an artist gets signed to the Daptone label, chances are the sound is pretty damn sexy. The Brooklyn-based label is also home to arguably the modern-day queen of soul music, Sharon Jones, and Bradley is right by her side at the top of the tree.

For those unfamiliar, Charles Bradley is a veteran of the scene. At 65 years old he's known by his adoring fans (and to those who have ever seen him live, as Australian audiences had the chance to recently) as the Screaming Eagle of Soul, and listening to the pain and suffering that he sings through on songs like Hurricane, it's easy to see why. Despite his age, Victim Of Love is only his second album, after 2011's No Time for Dreaming.

It would be unwise to categorise Victim Of Love in the 'easy listening' genre like you would with, say, Michael Kiwanuka or Al Green. Rather, Bradley is an artist that more often than not evokes passion with volume. But when you're nicknamed the Screaming Eagle of Soul, why should anyone expect anything less?