March 31, 2023
Stones Throw Records
1xLP
Sundown, the second entry in the Eddie Chacon-essance, is a peculiar alchemical melange of Ibizan sunrises, Fender guitars, Pharaoh Sanders, Los Angeles sunsets, and the type of rekindled youth one can only find in the existential limbo of your late-50s. Chacon reinvigorated his career after two decades of silence with Pleasure, Joy & Happiness (2020), a tasteful and understated neo-soul modernization, which he recorded with John Carroll Kirby for Stones Throw. Having all but abandoned music, the record — which can only be described as a vibe — sparked renewed passion, which led to a trip with Kirby to Ibiza, which then led to a spiritual awakening (Hello, Pharaoh), which led them back to LA and culminated in Sundown, which immediately staked its place as one of the year's grooviest LPs. All the production is handled by Kirby, who deconstructs typical beats into airy, nocturnal canvases with enough liminal space for Chacon to stretch out his breathy vocals. It's classy with being stuffy, sexy sans smut. It pairs well with a smoking jacket, dry scotch and any mid-century furniture you may have.