At 83 years young, Smokey Robinson shows that there’s no age limit when it comes to romance, intimacy and getting frisky on his new album Gasms. The man who brought us timeless classics like “Tracks Of My Tears,” “Ooo Baby Baby,” “Quiet Storm” and “Cruisin’,” lets it be known that he’s still got some lead in his pencil and shares songs from the heart on his first album in nine years.
Robinson raised eyebrows when the album was first announced earlier this year, and when the tracklist surfaced, some of the song titles had fans either clowning or clutching their pearls. The album and song titles are definitely an attention grab, but listening to Gasms, it’s evident that Smokey hasn’t lost his touch on the nine-track collection.
Led by the singles “If We Don’t Have Each Other” and “How You Make Me Feel,” Robinson delivers mature mood music on Gasms. This project is for grownups, but it’s not adults only. Smokey keeps it clean and respectful, eschewing the vulgarities commonplace in much of modern music. Instead, he sets a scene for romancing and slow dancing on songs like the title cut, where he doesn’t sing about orgasms but croons about the eyegasms and eargasms that his lover gives him.
Smokey’s pen is still potent, and he’s still stroking on tracks like “I Keep Callin’ You,” “Beside You” and “I Fit In There,” which ends the album on a particularly high note with its endearing Temptations-like sound.
Smokey Robinson plays to his strengths and his audience on Gasms. The living legend gives his longtime fans and soul music lovers a soundtrack to get their groove on to regardless of age.
Smokey Robinson Gasms [Amazon][Apple Music][TIDAL]
