Silk Sonic have rung in the most romantic day of the year with an expectedly sensual release – their soulful, groove-laden take on Con Funk Shun’s 1892 hit ‘Love’s Train’
The duo – comprised of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak – keep largely faithful to the five-minute jam, melding warm, mix-steering bass guitar and glittering keys with ultra-suave and honeyed vocal runs. Where the Silk Sonic redux differs is in its period accuracy; while the Con Funk Shun release embraces the synth-centric flair of ‘80s R&B, the Silk Sonic mix heads back a decade, swapping those digital touches for balmy horns and analogue production.
Have a listen to Silk Sonic’s take on ‘Love’s Train’ below:
Today’s release (February 14) of the ‘Love’s Train’ cover marks Silk Sonic’s first release for 2022, riding on the heels of their debut album, ‘An Evening With Silk Sonic’. That record landed last November via Aftermath/Atlantic, and sported a range of singles like ‘Leave The Door Open’, ‘Skate’ and ‘Smokin Out The Window’. Just over month after its release, the record passed a billion streams on Spotify.
The new project was met with immediate acclaim, leading the band to make their live debut at the 2021 Grammy Awards (followed by stints at the iHeartRadio Music Awards, the American Music Awards and the BET Soul Train Awards). They also share an unlikely fanbase with the video game Fortnite, which the band have linked up with through an original emote and their own instalment of its Icon Series DLC.
Fans in Las Vegas will have 25 chances to watch Silk Sonic play live, with a three-month residency at the intimate Dolby Live theatre kicking off later this month. Described as “the sexiest party of the year”, their sprawling run of shows starts on Friday February 25 and wraps on Sunday May 29. Tickets are available now through Ticketmaster.
In a five-star review of ‘An Evening With Silk Sonic’, NME opined that “the magic is in the way that the music moves”, explaining: “the songs are radiant and full of joy, formed from the synergy of two relentlessly creative minds. The album glows with appreciation for the simple but irreplaceable power of working alongside someone you trust and respect like no other – and it sounds as effortless and rewarding as an old friendship.”