Music review: Keb’ Mo’ – ‘Good to Be…’
Keb’ Mo’ returned to his Compton roots during the pandemic and found inspiration in the familiarity of home.
“Good to Be…” is the five-time Grammy winner’s latest release, filled with a soothing blend of contemporary blues and R&B tracks that provide keen observations about savoring life’s precious moments.
“Good to Be (Home Again)” opens the album and finds Keb’ Mo’ back in the neighborhood and feeling blessed as he declares, “I’m back on the saddle/Back on my horse/I’m back in town/Back to the source.”
Keb’ Mo’ extends the comforting emotions of coming home from a personal sentiment to a universal message as he tenderly sings, “It’s good to be you/It’s good to be me/Good to be young, good to be old/Good to be home again.”
Love continues as the central theme on “Sunny and Warm.” This charming love declaration reflects the excitement of a blossoming romance that warms the heart and soothes the spirit with Keb’ Mo’ proclaiming, “Sunny and warm is the way I like it/When I’m falling in love/It ain’t no crush, it’s forever/When the summer is gone we’ll still be together.”
“Good Strong Woman” spotlights a guest appearance from Darius Rucker. The two sing about a concerned mother’s advice to her son about the right kind of soulmate needed for a happy forever as they sing, “You’re gonna need a good strong woman that’s got your back/Fill you back up when you’re outta gas/A good strong woman goes a long, long way/Makes the right now better than the yesterday.”
Keb’ Mo’ is joined by Old Crow Medicine Show on a number that details the day-to-day struggles to find a place in this world and the solution for answers when announcing, “Everybody’s doing the best that they can/We’re all just waiting on the Medicine Man.”
The set comes to a gentle close with Keb’ Mo’ and Kristin Chenoweth beautifully delivering an intimate performance about a loving relationship that runs deeper than words when they sing, “But quiet moments are the best/When it’s just you and me speaking silently.”
The 70-year-old artist sums up the album’s message and puts things in the proper prospective when he sings, “I can’t tell you what the future holds/It might turn to crap, it might turn to gold/Maybe the bees might teach the pigs to fly/But I’m just gonna love everybody until the day I die.”
It is indeed good to be home again.