Aladean Kheroufi looks at love from both sides now in the retrograde romantice of his devastating double-sided single All The Same / She’s Not Ur Baby — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
The latest seductive releases from the Edmonton muti-talent — a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger, producer, recordist, DJ and all-around sonic lothario — deliver your classic boy-gets-girl, boy-loses-girl scenario… just not in that order. Start at the end with the twinlke-toed charm-school melodies and hip-hugging back-alley bassline of the retro-R&B grooveathon All The Same. Your boy wants to be your main man, but he spends the track looking down at his feet as he walks the late-night street, wondering why he just can’t catch a break:
“When did this become such a headache
So much worse than heartbreak
It’s always the same between you and I
I can’t make a decision
Somewhere I lost my vision
Of what I want, what do you want.”
Hey, we’ve all been there. And we all know how that’s going to end. Thankfully, every ending is a new beginning — as Kneroufi confirms on the reverb-drenched rebounder She’s Not Ur Baby, in which the dusty-voice soul crooner calls you up in the wee hours to tell you how he stole your girl when you weren’t looking:
“I got the first round
Can you find us a place we can sit down?
You can grab the next one
Back and forth till we’re more than just friends
How sweet are these beginnings
Never thought it’d be you I was loving
Please make this last forever
Your heart I will always treasure
She’s not your baby like she used to be
She’s not your baby anymore.”
It’s no wonder she’s switching sides: Whether he’s striking out or sealing the deal, there’s no getting around the fact that the Algerian-born Kheroufi is one smooth operator. He consumes mucho bandwidth in various musical communities — neo-soul, old-schoo R&B, vintage pop and even mailbox C&W. His songs are idiosyncratic, soulful and devastating, with a glass-half-full optimism that turns heartache into melancholy party anthems. Inspiration comes from legendary songwriters as diverse as Curtis Mayfield and Neil Young, combined with a deep passion for hook-laden soul singles informed by his time working at the Daptone House of Soul under the tutelage of Wayne Gordon (Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, badbadnotgood, Mark Ronson). The sounds emanating from Kheroufi’s own Municipal Recorders studio effortlessly span genres.
As a curious followup to his celebrated debut LP Studies In A Dying Love, this two-song single is a testament to Kheroufi’s commitment to the game. As he explains: “Sometimes a song is like a feather in the nose, and it just has to come out. Other times a train goes by and you barely notice it — like, who cares?” You can’t argue with that kind of reasoning.
Whether you think these songs are more ah-choo or choo-choo, the songwriting craft and studio prowess on display in these two heartspun numbers will have you feeling closer to someone — maybe Aladean himself; maybe a love now past; or maybe just your own inner romantic. Either way, a love connection will be made. And ain’t that what’s it all about?
Check out All The Same and She’s Not Ur Baby above, hear more from Aladean Kheroufi below, and trip the light fantastic with him on his Instagram and Facebook.
