One of the best experiences I've ever had with the first time hearing a song was when i heard Fitz and the Tantrums' "MoneyGrabber" for the first time. I was blown away by that song, which sounds like it was ripped straight out of the early '70s, and it remains one of my favorite songs today, a (unofficial) list on which it is joined by several other songs from Pickin' up the Pieces.
Pickin' up the Pieces came out in 2010, but on first listen you might swear it was straight from 1972. It's that rare retro album that perfectly embodies the spirit of the genre it is trying to emulate- half the time, that is.
And that's the problem with this album. On the one hand, it contains a murderer's row of fantastic soul songs: "MoneyGrabber," "Pickin' up the Pieces," "Breakin' the Chains of Love," "Don't Gotta Work It Out" are all songs that would find their way on to the aforementioned (and as of now non-existent) favorite songs list. On the other hand, this album contains some real clunkers, like "Dear Mr. President," that really bring it down.
So this isn't quite an "A" album due to the hit-and-miss nature of its tracks; that being said, it is still highly recommended just for the great songs that populate it. It may not be amazing back-to-front, but four amazing songs and 2 good ones isn't a bad deal.
Grade: B+
Video: "MoneyGrabber"
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