Devon Gilfillian: LOVE YOU ANYWAY

The recording of Love You Anyway began during the pandemic, as the nation’s political chasm widened, leading Gilfillian to rely on a few simple resources: the music of Marvin Gaye, new love, therapy, and his beloved cats, Barry White and Felicia.

Summoning an array of musical touchstones amid a rush of unexpected ear-catching twists and turns, Love You Anyway is as listenable as it is thought-provoking. The elegant, “All I Really Wanna Do,” is the LP’s alluring Temps-infused opening invitation. In quick succession, soulful provocateurs, “The Recipe,” and “Right Kind of Crazy,” wrap around “Brown Sugar Queen,” a Prince x Anderson Paak super-sized jam that features rising Swedish pop star Janice. Elsewhere, “Better Broken” evokes Bill Withers’ slinky gift for melody, the spiritual “Let The Water Flow,“ reaffirms Georgia’s political awakening, and “Righteous,” (featuring new labelmate Nathaniel Rateliff) takes an unblinking look at racial injustice in America. Lastly, on “Love You Anyway,” the open-hearted and transcendent end-title track, Gilfillian captures the raw power and beauty of acceptance.