Bobby Womack - "The Bravest Man In The Universe (XL Recordings, 2012)

April 23, 2023

Here is the power of the local Record Store. I ran into a friend at the store, and he raved about an album I didn’t know existed, but I did know the artist. The late and great Bobby Womack died in 2014, and this album was released in 2012. If anything else, The Bravest Man in The Universe is a beautiful parting gift. This album aches, and the sound of broken hearts reflects loneliness like a bad habit. My friend told me it’s a masterpiece, and however one defines that word, it moves the listener to a state of mind where melancholy roams one’s landscape.

Damon Albarn and Richard Russell produced the album; with that thought, one can imagine what the record can sound like. But by adding the voice and songs of (co-written with the producers) Womack, there is a uniqueness and world-weariness that is sad, and it’s that quality that makes this gem stand out.

There are no bad moments on The Bravest Man in The Universe, but the standout cut is If There Wasn’t Something There. Why this song is not being played or used in a film/TV show is a mystery to me. The chorus sucks you in, and it’s hard for me not to play this song on repeat until I pass out for the day. Womack is a master of space and time, and Damon and Richard know how to let the material breathe without artificially sweetening or beefing up the sound. The track's minimalism, with ambient touches, leaves a beautiful melody that lingers and is hard for me not to hear in my head. Thirty-seven minutes long and a lifetime of feeling, this is music made by a man who tested the waters of despair and turned them into gold.