A Music Album Review of ‘The Bravest Man in the Universe’ by Bobby Womack

We have chosen to review the album ‘The Bravest Man in the Universe‘ by Bobby Womack. It has a few surprises outside the fetching title. Some have said that it is a good attempt at dragging soul music into the future of the entertainment industry. From our perspective, this is a good set of music numbers which deserve respect. In fact this is the first album for the artist in 12 long years.

He is a legend but the album ‘The Bravest Man in the Universe‘ is almost a humble submission by the soul maestro Bobby Womack. It is not easy to associate his voice with soundscapes and digital flourishes but that is exactly what he does. The last time he did a really great album was 3 decades ago but there is no rust whatsoever. There is a ‘bad’ quality to his delivery which is entirely appealing. The lyrics are defiant and the sound is impassioned. The subject matter is sometimes nostalgic especially when he mumbles about certain regrets. Living on the edges can have that effect sometimes.

At 68 years of age, the Sam Cooke protégé has learnt very well. In any case the album ‘The Bravest Man in the Universe‘ is Bobby Womack’s message that he wants to get out of the sidelines and dominate the music industry once more. This is no cabaret performance (even if he has had plenty of practice over the years). It is a highly distinguished album with a touching message. The collaboration with Damon Albarn on Gorillaz in 2010 was an uplifting moment.

The voice is perfectly complimented by the auto-tuned sounds. There is plenty of heavy bass and the strings are processed. In the title song he talks about a secular preacher who brings the congregation in. ‘Please Forgive My Heart’ is humble and vulnerable. His gospel tradition is used to great effect in ‘Deep River’. There are also two songs by Fatoumata Diawara and Lana Del Rey. I love the playfulness of ‘Stupid’. In other words this is a great comeback by a great singer.

It is good to hear from Bobby Womack and the album is simply magnificent. The collaborations are well judged and the use of modern digital gimmicks is not tacky at all. This is a wonderful record. There is nothing bad we could find in this album review.