Mayer Hawthorne

Though many in recent years have tried to tap the waters of '60s soul revitalization in some truly bold attempts to unleash their inner Smokey, few have hit the mark artistically and successfully traversed the barrier of simple mimicry. Coming from Ann Arbor native Mayer Hawthorne, however, the sounds of soul music's innocent golden age couldn't feel more natural. Through the 12 fleeting moments of his debut disc, A Strange Arrangement, the Detroit suburbanite hits all the high notes, channelling the sound and spirit of the era to near-perfection as he swoons about loves won and lost over a musical base crafted all by his lonesome. Hawthorne's reserved falsetto and appropriately wholesome lyrics further enrich the already genuine sounds of the heartfelt "I Wish It Would Rain" and bustling showpiece "Maybe So, Maybe No," while the subtle attitude and modern influence of closer "Green Eyed Love" reveals a clue to where the talented one-man band might turn once this current phase of musical rehashing finally runs its course.