Aloe Blacc - Good Things

Good Things marks a shift in methodology from personal to political for Aloe, who refers to the project as his report on present conditions-joblessness, homeless, the misappropriation of wealth, pillaging of resources, and a universal lack of compassion from the capitalism at-large under which we all function, but some struggle to survive. Song titles such as "You Make Me Smile" and "Miss Fortune," coupled with airy, ethereal production from Truth & Soul's Leon Michels and Jeff Silverman mask a foreboding undercurrent in which Aloe crafts lyrics both thoughtful and thought-provoking. Nowhere is this more evident than on lead single, "I Need a Dollar"-commissioned by HBO as the theme music for the series How to Make It in America and screening in the UK in 2011-because ultimately, that is how to make it in America.