Mayer Hawthorne ‎– A Strange Arrangement

I'm a music purist of sorts and I wanted to hate this, I really did. I mean, come on, a nerdy, hip white boy doing Motown? I assumed that this record would be lame and cheesy in the way Beck does funk and makes it ironic. NO WAY. I can see why PBW put this guy on his purist hip-hop label with only a 2 track demo. This guy has got it! He does Motown better than some of the later Motown artists themselves! All the songs are fuckin' great. Heartfelt vocals and arrangements-this guy just kills it. I think he played 90 percent of the instruments himself. I've heard that he kind of did this as a tribute to Motown and just did it for friends and family and wasn't going to release it. If you love Smokey, the Temps(when they were good),Gaye, 70's Blue Magic, just buy this. If you like any Motown, just buy this. Oh, and no, I Wish It Would Rain isn't the Temptations cover, tho I'd love to hear Mayer do that. Straight up talent and a well rounded knowledge of soul music made this guy put out an amazing record like this.

from Urb:
Mayer Hawthorne’s super-catchy single, ‘Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out,’ caused a frenzy when it debuted on a red, heart-shaped vinyl months ago. The music itself’the drums, the harmonies, the melancholic falsetto’displayed Hawthorne’s affinity for soul music and a penchant for song writing. His full-length debut, A Strange Arrangement lives up to high hopes and shows the Detroit native’s understanding of his hometown legacy.
Like old Detroit soul, A Strange Arrangement covers an array of styles: some are Motown-ish (’Your Easy Lovin’ Ain’t Pleasin’ Nothin’), some are teary-eyed love songs (’I Wish It Would Rain’), and some are up-tempo thumpers (’The Ills’). Hawthorne sings mostly in falsetto (except on ‘Let Me Know’) and the song arrangements fit the mood and lyrics accordingly. He even covers the mega-rare soul joint ‘Maybe So, Maybe No’ by The New Holidays. And while the 12-tracks aren’t perfect (namely an unneeded a capella intro and moments where his vocal limitations show), Hawthorne proves doubters wrong, showing that a white kid from Detroit who loves soul can produce it without sounding imitative or corny.
At worst, A Strange Arrangement has a couple lulls: at best, it’s one of the most enjoyable records of the summer. Highly recommended.