Darryl Anders Agapesoul - Conversations (2018)

Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines conversation as “an oral exchange of sentiments, observations, opinions, or ideas.” In today’s world, calcified along racial, class, and religious lines and led by unshakeable convictions on both sides of every divide, true dialogue can sometime seem positively quaint.
Into this environment steps Conversations, the new album by San Francisco Bay Area bassist Darryl Anders and his band, AgapéSoul. Not only is this a conversation between AgapéSoul and the listeners, but it’s also a profound, joyful dialogue between the musicians, who breathe life into this 10-song setlist. And what a setlist it is!
The first track, “Kite,” sets the template for the rest of the album: bass in your face, soulful vocals, undeniable groove, tasteful guitar, lush keys, and killer arrangements. “The Way That We Love” continues that flavor, and like a well-timed remark in an animated discussion, Anders’ bass solo adds to the conversation and keeps things moving along. Dig the way the band gels as the song comes to a conclusion.
“Changes” begins with keys and some crispy clean fretwork; there’s a funky-footed reprise later on the album. But this story of a relationship morphing through time isn’t the album’s only song about pain and love: Grit-and-velvet-voiced Geoffrey Williams, whose credits include Michael Jackson, Nile Rodgers, and Dusty Springfield, takes the lead on his own “The Lesson,” the poignant lament of a man no longer in love.
Anders picks the tempo up again with the down-home, Rhodes/B3-soaked vibes of “Fruitvale Gumbo” and “Think About It,” reminders of the years he spent playing with New Orleans icon and original Meters drummer Zigaboo Modeliste. Anders’ funky bass feature proves that he’s clearly having fun, reveling in the influence of Marcus Miller, one of his mentors.
The gospel-infused “Home,” an epic ballad about finding and appreciating real love, is sprinkled with tasteful strings and soulful acoustic guitar. It also showcases a knockout vocal performance by Tommy Sims, the Nashville bass/songwriting/production powerhouse who co-wrote Eric Clapton’s “Change the World.” “Sweet Sticky Thing” takes us back to a time when album covers were as skintight as they wanted to be and sax ruled pop radio.
Throughout the album, the chemistry and top-notch skills of these musicians are a firm rebuke of slick, soulless pop music. If, as many musicians say, a band is only as good as its rhythm section, AgapéSoul certainly has the goods: The hookup between Anders and Green is pure gold.
The album closer and title track brings Sims back for a voiceover that spells out the album’s most important theme: “Imagine what could happen if I sat down and you sat down, and we just rap about it for a minute, y’dig? Maybe we could start with that.” Over a mile-deep groove that would make Incognito, Stevie Wonder, and Earth Wind & Fire proud, Nate SoulSanger drives it home in the chorus’: “Black, white, brown, or Asian/it don’t matter, your persuasion/We can change the world with a conversation.”