A Strange Arrangement, in addition to being the name of Mayer Hawthorne's falsetto-laced debut, also describes the story behind the making of this one-man soul studio. Performing in L.A. as DJ Haircut, Michigan-born hip-hop fan Drew Cohen thought it would be interesting to record his own sample-friendly music. His complicated form of crate digging eventually attracted the ears of Stones Throw founder Peanut Butter Wolf. According to a Real Detroit Weekly interview*,* Cohen even turned to the adolescent-approved porn name formula-- his middle name and the street he grew up on-- as a device for creating his sweet soul singer alter ego. When he received a recording contract for what he thought was a single release, he realized Wolf wanted a full-length and had to bunker down, since he ended up writing and recording just about every part on the album himself. It's not as authentic and gritty a bio as those found in the liner notes of many soul reissues. But Hawthorne's on-the-fly origins are fitting for this release, alternately carefree, charming, and sometimes as green as the 29-year-old crooner.
Hawthorne's smooth voice draws deeply from the work of legends like Smokey Robinson, Curtis Mayfield, and the Stylistics' Russell Thompkins, Jr. While his naming convention may suggest otherwise, Hawthorne never gets near any R-rated love affairs. Posing in a study surrounded by ephemera on the cover, he sort of looks like a lost Tenenbaum, and plays up a lovelorn, sweet angle throughout the album.
He shines brightest on straightforward tracks where he doesn't overplay his hand, instead folding his innocent vocals into catchy, energetic, and unfussy arrangements. He can't match the instrumental chops of Daptone bands or Mark Ronson projects, so he sticks to the basics. Coasting on driving backbeats, feel-good horn and sax melodies, and pleas for passion, "Your Easy Lovin' Ain't Pleasin' Nothin'", "One Track Mind", and "Make Her Mine" are streamlined soul, catchy singles that do right by their obvious 1960s influences. "The Ills" nails a Mayfield vibe out of the gate, threading fluid congas among empowering choruses and lyrics about broken levees and single-parent families. "A Strange Arrangement" and "Just Ain't Gonna Work Out", mid-tempo numbers with more falsetto and apologies for walking away from relationships, showcase blended vocal harmonies. Other than the occasional clockwork backbeat, the closest this comes to Cohen's hip-hop roots is when he slurs "scared" so it rhymes with "bird."
The lovelorn singer doesn't always handle being on the receiving end of a break up quite as well. While lamenting on "Just Ain't Gonna Work Out", his syrupy vocals stall a bit, and "Green Eyed Love" lumbers along on a half-hearted organ melody and slack rhythm. Hawthorne clearly has the ability to integrate and recreate his influences in his own compositions; it would be revelatory if he added more of his own signature sounds and soul into the music.
