As the name implies, this group is shrouded in mystery, known to comprise former members of the Ohio Players. The assumption has been that the group consists of James William on Drums, William Beck on keyboards, and guitarist Chet Willis, who were the main members of the group, but it would later include other musicians as well. The band had a short run, releasing three albums from 1979 to 1981, with a few singles sprinkled in during that time.
This album is the group's sophomore album, which had them working with the legendary singer, songwriter, and producer Leon Ware – who, if you don't know, has worked with greats from Minnie Riperton to Donny Hathaway to The Jackson 5. And you can for sure feel his creative style hovering over this record. 8 tracks of pure soul, pure funk, and pure gold.
Albums like this are what keep me around and give me the chills when that needle drops, the type of thing you have to restart over and over when those drums come in before you even get on with the rest of the song. The first track starts off with a bouncy bassline that introduces us to a smoky vocal. The whole song gives me a nodding reminder of Thundercat's music, but the standout of this track is the strings that come in during the bridge, building up great tension and releasing you back into a smooth groove. You can't help but do a lil one-two step. This is the type of album that could turn any day around with a luscious soundscape of tight grooves.
I'm always a sucker for a love song that makes me feel like I'm the one confessing my love on the day I finally built up the confidence to. And I Can't Keep Holding Back (My Love) does exactly that with a belting chorus and lyrics I'm sure we can all relate to at some point in our lives when that time comes. James "Diamond" Williams continues laying down infectious drums that bring the whole song together, and although sadly no one is directly credited for who's singing on the album, this track has some of my favourite vocals on the track, other than on the track Hot City.
VOCODER ALERT!!!! Whenever I find a little tease of a fun use of a vocoder, I’m ready for it, even if in this instant it’s used in the smallest adlib on Beyond the Finish Line. It's a sweet touch to the song, which makes up for some strings on the bridge I could go without… but that's something very nitpicky anyway.
Shadow is just one of those albums that I'm surprised isn't talked about more as a solid funk/soul project. I mean, you got some great players out of one of the best funk groups ever, the Ohio Players, and match those up with Leon Ware, and it seems like it’d be an easy knock-out of the park. I can 100% reassure you that going through this project will have your head nodding and your foot tapping from start to end, and I don't really know what more you could ask for.