Steve Lacy’s The Feeling: Embracing his Inner 70s Stevie Wonder

Steve Lacy has been slowly teasing his new record, which will be the first in 4 years. Finally, a lead single is here and it’s very exciting. To say Lacy’s new record is heavily anticipated is like saying the Mona Lisa is good…sure you’re factually correct, but vastly underselling it. There is a ton of buzz for this record and the new single The Feeling with have that buzz reach a deafening pitch.

This single is an evolution of Lacy’s previous work Gemini Rights. That record was a bolt of lightening out of the blue with some atonal singing, sharp verses, luscious beats and some non-traditional arrangements. You never really knew where you were going, which made it very exciting. The Feeling is similar, but a bit more grounded. Musically, you have a 70s era R&B funk fusion. You get the vibe of an old Kool & the Gang record or Talking Book from Stevie Wonder. So, the listener is immediately grounded in something they are familiar with….psychedelic bass, some strings, some chymes, luxurious keyboard…you know…70s excess. However, there are enough modern synth and guitar notes in here to keep it fresh and keep you guessing. I love the arrangement for its warmth and space.

Keeping you guessing is Lacy’s superpower. His vocal is the key to this track. Lacy goes all over the place from multi-track harmonising to some more atonal verses and into a gorgeous hook. This is the modern pop star. A chameleon who can shift from genre to genre, while keeping everything on edge. Lacy keeps the sharpness he had on Gemini Rights, but his vocal reaches heights that I didn’t experience on that record. Much like the musical arrangement, the mix of the familiar with something new keeps this track exciting.

Something new from Steve Lacy was always going to pop off and this track did not disappoint. It sees Lacy exploring new sonic landscapes, while also keeping his modern edge intact. It will be interesting to see if the record is a full funk record or if this track is part of a more eclectic collection. Whatever the new record is, this lead single has gotten me very excited to see what’s next.

Listen to The Feeling