Ryan Shaw: Real Love

Jerry Shriver

Posted May 15, 2012

3.5

  • Album: Real Love
  • Artist: Ryan Shaw
  • Release date: May. 16, 2012
  • Download: Real Love, Karina, The Wrong Man, In Between, You Don't Know Nothing About Love, That Is Why

Remember Little Stevie Wonder's joyous yelp of a voice against that insistent Motown beat early in his career? Georgia-born, gospel-trained Shaw evokes a similar feeling on Real Love with opening tracks Real Love and Karina on his follow-up to 2007's terrific This Is Ryan Shaw. From there the 31-year-old with the multi-octave voice revives grittier aspects of '60s soul — think Wilson Pickett and James Brown — without sounding excessively retro. Even fans of contemporary R&B will embrace the stellar, heartfelt grooves of The Wrong Man and In Between.

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