Modern soul and R&B have so many sub-genres that it may be hard to list them all without missing one or two.
In many cases, newer artists usually try to stick to one or maybe two, without trying to reach into the deep wells that all these sub-genres of both soul and R&B have to offer. And there is so much to explore within them.
Yet here is one artist who with his latest album tries to cover as much of that wider spectrum by tying them into an integrated sound that reaches beyond just a collection of genre-sounding songs.
So, in many ways, it is no wonder that Louisiana-based artist Aries Marquis names his latest effort Experience. It might have been the only way to cover such a large set of musical strands and cover them through, well, his own personal experiences.
Marquis, who, like many other soul and R&B artists, started out singing in a gospel choir, also seems to be an avid student and admirer of all things soul and R&B, as he has integrated all his musical capabilities and knowledge within the seven tracks here.
He explains: “I named this album, Experience, for two reasons: one is because I have gained a lot of experience in this music industry to be able to say, with honesty, that I have made improvements as an artist, and two, this album is another project based on true experiences that I’ve lived, and choose to write about. After all, my music is not written just for entertainment, but as life lessons that many can relate to, and learn from.”
Just reading these words might seem a bit pretentious, but throughout the album, Marquis shows that he both has the abilities, feel, and sense to actually channel his words through music, turning all his knowledge, and, well, experience into an excellent listening experience.
