Mayer Hawthorne's oldschool pop-R&B homages are so meticulous that it's tempting to overrate his pipes. Dude's got a convincing falsetto; in the Seventies, he might've made the backup-harmony cut for some mid-level vocal group. Hawthorne's second album is full of Philly soul strings and yacht-rock brass; "The Walk" could pass for the Young Rascals in 1966 if not for its Cee Lo-era swear words. Don't expect emotion for the ages, and you'll have fun with this.
Listen to "A Long Time":
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