I missed out on a review of Fantastic Negrito’s Son of A Broken Man from late last year, but his upcoming performance at Montreal Jazzfest feels like the perfect opportunity to give this album it’s due. Like most of his albums, this newest one is electrified: part freakout, blues gospel, part sinister murder ballad, all unhinged. From the opening moments, the album envelops listeners in thick layers of organ, handclaps, choir harmonies, and Negrito’s unmistakable, raw vocal grit.
For an album about his relationship with his father, Fantastic Negrito either hooks you have the strange ghostified samples about trauma, betrayal, or an infectious bottle neck blues guitar riff. All of the songs on Son of a Broken Man feel huge, backed by a soulful choir or Negrito’s leathery Oakland blues voice. Fantastic Negrito has always had a preacher’s fire in his belly and a bluesman’s howl in his throat, but Son of a Broken Man might be the clearest distillation of his vision yet. This record doesn’t just flirt with gospel blues—it baptizes itself in it with songs like “Skirty” and “Devil in My Pocket.”
The album feels like it was recorded in a dilapidated Southern church, where the roof leaks and the spirit of redemption drips from the rafters. The production leans into analog warmth and vintage crackle, grounding the emotional heft in something physical and real. What’s most impressive is how Negrito continues to evolve without abandoning his roots. This album doesn’t chase trends; it wrestles with soul, sin, and salvation in a way that feels timeless. I can’t personally wait to see this album unleashed live.
