The New Seal of Approval

Sam Sparro is pretty much sitting in the catbird seat across the pond these days. He's getting all sorts of love from BBC Radio 1. Chaka Khan has gone so far as to say, "Damn, that white boy can sing." That may or may not equal, "That boy is GOOD!," but obscure Coming to America quotes aside, he's being compared to everyone from Prince to Stevie Wonder, and his debut, Black & Gold, charted in the UK top five. High praise, indeed.

Personally, I'm hearing a lot more Seal than Prince, but I will agree the eponymous track he's dropped is pretty damn catchy. It's more dance floor than funk, but it's bound to get your booty shaking regardless. I'd also argue he uses a bit too many vocal distortion tricks to get Stevie Wonder love, but that doesn't mean he isn't worth checking out. I guess the real question is can the man pull off ruffled shirts and/or dashikis? If he can do that, then we'll talk more.

mp3: Black & Gold