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Arabic for "it is written" or "destiny", the word Maktub was derived from Paul Coelho's novel The Alchemist. The Seattle-based band has built a strong following in the last two years, having shared the stage with The Dave Matthews Band, India.Arie, Spearhead, Soulive, and Ben Harper. Maktub will tour this spring in support of the record Khronos, due out in April on the NYC-based label Velour. A Montana native who originally moved to Seattle to study vocal Jazz, Reggie dazzles throughout the diverse material of Khronos. Most often compared to the vocal agility of Al Green and passion of Marvin Gaye, Reggie manages to shirk off easy categorization by drawing equal influence from the likes of rock crooners Chris Cornell and Robert Plant. The uplifting opener You Can't Hide lays down a sinewy groove that showcases Watts' astonishing falsetto and his on-the-fly manipulation of vocal effects. Not to be easily filed under Soul, Maktub bounces between tasty soul-pop and the heavier cadence of tunes like Give Me Some Time and an impressive cover of Led Zeppelin's No Quarter. Just Like Murder displays the band's heavy soul sound with its gorgeously dark medley of Hammond organ and guitars that escalate and recede as Watts reflects on heartbreak. Khronos, the band's debut on Velour, is an album that effortlessly joins old and new school sounds. Imaginative embellishments from Reggie's modified 1950s telephone mic, a guitar talkbox, synthesizers, samples, Hammond B-3 organ and Rhodes delivers enough sonic ear candy for everyone from 70s head bangers to 80s new-wavers to the underground hip-hop and neo-soul fans of the 00's. The front half of the album explores soul, pop and up-tempo tunes that fuel Maktub's scorching live shows. The second half settles into a darker, psychedelic side of the band. In both modes Maktub delivers: pure soul, all heart and no shortcuts. Recent back-to-back NPR and MSN interviews have hipped plenty of new fans to Maktub, a band of Seattle musicians who have worked with everyone from Dan the Automator and Saul Williams to Nirvana producer Steve Fisk and Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard. Kevin Goldman (bass) and Davis Martin (drums) form a rock-solid rhythm section honed through years of live performance and collective writing. Daniel Spils' layers of Rhodes piano, Hammond B-3, and synth paired with Thaddeus Turner's exquisite guitar work and trademark guitar talkbox result in a sound that is both wholly original and appealingly familiar. With numerous sold-out performances on the West Coast behind them, the band has the momentum to carry its sound across the country. |
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