Considering the attention and accolades
Jarrod Lawson received for his 2014 self-titled debut, it would have been sensible for the singer, songwriter, and keyboardist to keep his foot on the gas and quickly knock out a follow-up. Instead, he crossed continents as a performer and leant his talent to numerous recordings headlined mostly by established associates such as trumpeter
Farnell Newton and keyboardist
Steveland Swatkins.
Lawson also partnered with
Tahirah Memory for an EP as a duo and diverted with an expansive instrumental set as
Orpheus. The upshot of all this is that
Be the Change is livelier and even more distinctive than the debut. Moreover, the material is as committed to promoting spring-in-the-step positivity with a glistening mix of soul and jazz that often shines direct light on
Lawson's stacked harmonies. All of it is intricately woven yet easy to enjoy;
Lawson is at once a musician's musician and a crowd pleaser, and some of the material approximates the feel of an
Al Jarreau session with
Earth, Wind & Fire. (In one deviation from that likeness,
Lawson makes like an enunciating
D'Angelo with a charmingly self-effacing sense of humor.) No matter the complexity, the line of communication to the soul is clear, urging empathy, social progress, and unity. While nothing grooves quite as hard as the first LP's most energetic songs, the frequent presence of sure-handed veteran percussionist
Sammy Figueroa is a positive trade-off. A shrewd if natural match is made with the slightly hipper
Moonchild, whose
Amber Navran duets with
Lawson on one of the few romantic ballads. ~ Andy Kellman
