SON LITTLE
Cityfolk (Anti-)
A Grammy-winning collaborator with both Mavis Staples and The Roots, Aaron Livingston aka Son Little’s 2022 album Like Neptune saw him look inwards into his childhood, reflecting on both the sunshine and darkness he lived through. Cityfolk, its followup, finds Livingston teaming with Ben Tanner from rootsy rockers Alabama Shakes – credited as co-producer – journeying to the American South and taking a deep dive into his ancestry.
While Livingston and Tanner seem to have plugged into a fervent Muscle Shoals vibe, with Be Better a fine example of this, Cityfolk still retains Livingston’s genre-busting creative formula, with hip-hop, r’n’b and soul thrown into the equation. It’s a reaffirmation that Livingston is a strong songsmith whose deep, invigorating, soulful music deserves to be heard on a far wider scale. This guy is well worth checking out.
words DAVID NOBAKHT
