After a five-year break, Yusuf, formerly Cat Stevens, returns with Tell ‘Em I’ve Gone, a Rick Rubin-produced release that sees the man steer through blues and R&B, and delve into his old bag of tricks.
The aforementioned blues and R&B kick in on Editing Floor Blues and the organ-filled Big Boss Man and it’s a niche Yusuf’s storyteller vocal suits. Dying To Live has him tinkling on the ivories, while he asks “Why are we dying to live if we’re living to die?” The genre deviations are unexpected but make for an absorbing listen.
