Subtle Ways
Seattle's Maktub (Arabic for "it is written") craft engaging lover's funk kissed with subtly placed contemporary updates. The muscle of this band, however, is not the gee-whiz gloss of technology, but the gritty sweat-soaking of that thing for which there is no replacement--soul. Led by the sturdy yet versatile baritone of vocalist Reggie Watts and driven by a band that seems capable of moving mountains yet always keeps coolly restrained, Maktub are refreshingly stripped down without feeling bare. More than anything, that's the mark of great musicians working through tunes that are both well conceived and forcefully executed.--S. Duda