Released 10 years ago
Take Me to the Alley
Gregory Porter · 2016
60 min · 14 tracks · blues
A rich blend of soulful melodies and heartfelt lyrics that invite listeners into a world of reflection and warmth.
Top tracks — play these first
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Take Me to the Alley — This title track encapsulates the album's themes of community and belonging, featuring Porter's signature vocal warmth against a backdrop of rich instrumentation.
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Holding On — The opening track combines infectious rhythms with inspirational lyrics about perseverance, setting an uplifting tone for the entire album.
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Consequences of Love — This song delves into the complexities of love, showcasing Porter's emotive delivery and sophisticated songwriting that intertwines personal narrative with universal feelings.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album showcases strong songwriting and rich arrangements but has some uneven pacing in its latter half.
What we noticed
- The first half of the album features a consistent mid-tempo groove, while the second half introduces more varied tempos and dynamics.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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8/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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7/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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7/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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6/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- introspective moments of warmth
- dynamic journey with emotional peaks
- for reflective evening listening
- engaging storytelling through soulful melodies
Maybe skip if you
- seeking fast-paced instant gratification
- prefer standalone singles over albums
Where this album fits
- Career context
- Released in 2016, Take Me to the Alley is Gregory Porter's fourth studio album. Coming off his Grammy-winning success with Liquid Spirit, Porter sought to deepen his exploration of personal and communal themes in music, showcasing his growth as a lyricist and vocalist.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Michael Kiwanuka· Leon Bridges· Andra Day
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 Holding On 5:02
- 2 Don’t Lose Your Steam 3:17
- 3 Take Me to the Alley 5:16
- 4 Daydream 3:51
- 5 Consequence of Love 3:20
- 6 In Fashion 4:34
- 7 More Than a Woman 3:31
- 8 In Heaven 4:18
- 9 Insanity 5:37
- 10 Don’t Be a Fool 4:31
- 11 Fan the Flames 4:12
- 12 French African Queen 3:45
- 13 Holding On 4:15
- 14 Insanity 5:04
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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