By Steven Carter
Khronos, the second album by the relatively unknown Seattle band Maktub, resonates with more soul than a Pentecostal revival. Reggie Watts' baritone voice glides in effortlessly, silky smooth over streamlined bass grooves that not even a dead man could sit still to, while Thaddeus Turner's muted guitar gently whispers in the background, softly accenting the mood with six strings of soul. His guitar stretches songs across genres, especially on tracks like "So Tired" and "We've Got Desire", that start out smooth, with catchy soulful lyrics that latch onto the ear like a hook, reeling the listener in, while the band builds in intensity and Turner starts cranking out power chords as his backbeat intensifies. This heavier rock side peers its head out in some songs, but never feels forced or obtrusive. Instead it always feels natural and helps to round the songs out, making them feel a little more complex and complete.
But the music of Maktub is so much more than soul with a heavy side. It's music that generates from the hearts of artists who are just trying to have some fun, who haven't found commercial success after four albums and more than a decade, but haven't given up, and continue to sound better and better. They sound like no other band you have ever heard of (with the possible exception of Soulive, but even that is a stretch).
Though all members of the band are extremely talented, vocalist Watts controls the spotlight with a sugary-sweet falsetto that can effortlessly plunge deep down into a baritone tapestry of words. Watts has a better voice than most pop singers on the charts today, and he will have you hooked with his lyrics like a trout lying helpless in a garden pond. If you have any soul, you'll be singing along to every song by the end of the first play through.
But the music of Maktub is so much more than soul with a heavy side. It's music that generates from the hearts of artists who are just trying to have some fun, who haven't found commercial success after four albums and more than a decade, but haven't given up, and continue to sound better and better. They sound like no other band you have ever heard of (with the possible exception of Soulive, but even that is a stretch).
Though all members of the band are extremely talented, vocalist Watts controls the spotlight with a sugary-sweet falsetto that can effortlessly plunge deep down into a baritone tapestry of words. Watts has a better voice than most pop singers on the charts today, and he will have you hooked with his lyrics like a trout lying helpless in a garden pond. If you have any soul, you'll be singing along to every song by the end of the first play through.
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