If You Ain't With It, Then Excuse Me: Raphael Saadiq Steps Out with Instant Vintage

Discerning lovers of modern soul had been waiting for Raphael Saadiq to take his inevitable step into the solo spotlight. For a decade, he was more or less the centerpiece of Tony! Toni! Tone!, the brilliant ’90s band that included his brother Dwayne Wiggins.
 

The group was one of the early purveyors of “neo-soul” long before it had a name. But Raphael’s approach – be it arranging, playing or singing – always felt more sincere and much smarter than what often passed as “neo-soul.” Prince and Stevie Wonder were obvious influences, but Raphael quickly established a yearning, often witty and always funky style of his own within Tony! Toni! Tone! 
 

After producing a slew of artists and launching the short-lived group Lucy Pearl, Raphael finally put out a record under his own name, 2002’s Instant Vintage. And it was worth the wait. Ten years later, the album still rises above 90 percent of the R&B currently on the charts. In a way, the album also extends the refreshed classic soul sound of 1997’s House of Music, Tony! Toni! Tone!’s masterful last album.

Instant Vintage carried the descriptor “gospeldelic,” on the cover, a word Raphael coined to sum up his style merging soul, gospel and funk. Great word, but he didn’t need to work so hard to describe what he does. The music speaks for itself.

In 2002, few urban pop artists released cohesive albums that felt like a journey from start to finish. Instant Vintage deftly braids contemporary and classic styles – soaring, swooping strings straight from a Philly International session; terse programmed beats from the land of hip-hop; and thick, drowsy funk that would make Sly Stone proud. The album sparkles with odd but effective touches, like the tuba solo on “Still Ray” and Raphael’s multi-tracked imitation of a wah-wah guitar pedal on “What’s Life Like.” Raphael also invited talented friends to sing, including TLC star T-Boz and soul singers D’Angelo, Angie Stone and Calvin Richardson.

The album boasts 19 tracks but none feel overworked. In fact, some beg for you to hit the repeat button, like “Charlie Ray.” The surrealistic jam is a searing, midtempo groove drenched with the blues, like hot sauce on a piece of fried catfish. Raphael imbues muddy Memphis funk with the laidback swagger of Oakland, his hometown. “Tick Tock” broadens Raphael’s California blues with hints of Sly circa 1973.

Raphael’s laces “Faithful,” a breezy dance track recalling the best of Solar, with syncopated strings and bright percussion. “Uptown” addresses urban despair, something of a lyrical departure for Raphael, who usually focuses on the romantic and silly sides of love. Instant Vintage concludes with “Skyy, Can You Feel Me,” an evocative, lounge jazz cut that sounds like a sexy update of Songs in the Key of Life-era Stevie. It's anchored by a breezy samba rhythm and layered with subtle strings and percussion.

Instant Vintage did well on the charts, peaking at No. 6 on the R&B list and making it to No. 25 on the pop side. It boasted smart singles, like the assertive “Be Here” with D’Angelo and “Still Ray.” But Instant Vintage works best as a whole.

Raphael’s subsequent solo albums, particularly 2008’s critically acclaimed The Way I See It, dove deep into the vintage side and essentially replicated the sounds of ’60s Chess and Motown. But on Instant Vintage, Raphael was like a soul matrix, mastering styles of today and yesterday but somehow managing to defy time altogether.

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