55.4
was made over a 55-day period in 2020 and was released as
Sly Johnson
's fourth solo album in 2022. Each of the three previous LPs exhibited many facets of the native Parisian who made a name for himself with human-beatbox specialists
Saian Supa Crew
. This one sticks with the soul-steeped R&B and funk that partly characterized them, and rather than switch between bilingual rapping and singing, as he has in the past,
Johnson
almost exclusively sings here in English, making full use of his sweet, pleasantly acidic instrument. The commitment to a focused approach pays off.
puts his songwriting in another gear, communicating in sharper detail, as always with an air of positivity, about liberation and oppression, upliftment and romantic devotion, and a bit of heartache (alleviated by hope and perseverance). It opens with crisp and neck-swinging hip-hop soul, then shifts into some of
's funkiest work. A seething if clear-minded take on
Sly & the Family Stone
and
D'Angelo
-style funk -- a sonic descendent of
There's a Riot Goin' On
Black Messiah
-- is inserted between proposals and assurances that bounce, strut, and burn. That section is followed by a coasting part-machine slow jam that could be effective enough with sweet nothings, but
's inclination to do more than simply set a scene is evident even here, concerning himself with self-examination and appreciation as much as seduction. The only featured appearance is from
Jona Oak
, a singer/songwriter who compatibly duets with
on a song of grief and consolation built on a hypnotic, gospel-tinged rhythm that acts as a salve. There's also an imaginative version of
Marvin Gaye
's "What's Going On," but it's superfluous in the context of personal messages that are strong enough to stand on their own. ~ Andy Kellman