Album Review: Tito Jackson - Tito Time
He is reportedly planning a move to the West Midlands, and such is the excitement currently coursing through Tito Jackson's veins he has spilled it out into a new record.
On a recent visit to the offices of our sister paper the Express & Star, the Jackson musical empire member revealed his surprise plans for the future, with Bridgnorth a possible destination, and was also promoting his first solo record to boot.
It's 14 tracks of plush pop that allow Tito and friends to build a bridge linking trends of the past few decades on one record.
It flits nicely from sound to sound throughout its lifespan. We touch upon reggae in the happy-go-lucky sound of Home Is Where The Heart Is. The album closer gives a positive crescendo to the record with its message of home comforts spattered over uplifting kettle drums.
And One Way Street is made up of those pained low beats of the late 90s while keys strut a melody not too dissimilar to Dr. Dre's Still D.R.E. over the top. It's akin to Springsteen's Streets Of Philadelphia in feel, more than a hint of heartache edging into the positivity briefly.
Then we have Get It Baby, featuring Big Daddy Kane, which sounds at home in the current climate of Pharrell et al harking back to the 70s disco vibes. While these numbers can sometimes feel a little empty and superficial you know Tito has the experience and CV to carry the feel with authority. And he does, the jittering chorus broken up nicely by acapella backing vocals.
It's a decent collection with appearances from Jocelyn Brown, Roo and his sons 3T, among others, to keep it different and surprising.
And this happens with one of the tracks featuring his sons - Jammer Street. It's another happy-go-lucky pop strut with off-kilter percussion and a roaring guitar solo thrown in too.
Most surprising of all is this is his first solo LP. Based on what we have here, he could be onto something and more would be welcomed by fans.
Rating: 7/10
