Lucy Pearl – Lucy Pearl

Review

Let’s talk about ‘Lucy Pearl’—the kind of record that slaps you awake and makes you wonder why this trio didn’t stick around longer. Raphael Saadiq, Dawn Robinson, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad cooked up a stew of silky R&B, funk-laced guitar licks, and hip-hop swagger that still smells fresh two decades later. Tracks like ‘Dance Tonight’ hit like a summer block party you weren’t invited to but crash anyway, while ‘Lala’ bounces between Robinson’s sky-high soprano and Saadiq’s velvety falsetto like a tennis match you never want to end. Even the deeper cuts—‘Remember the Times’ and ‘Hollywood’—serve up equal parts nostalgia and grit, proving these three didn’t just phone it in.

The production is pure Saadiq magic: basslines that thump like a heartbeat, guitars that wah-wah with attitude, and beats that feel tailor-made for both the club and the living-room slow grind. Muhammad’s scratches add just the right amount of edge, and guest spots from Snoop and Q-Tip on ‘You’ slide in like cool uncles dropping by to hype the vibe. Sure, Robinson’s exit killed the momentum, but this album is a snapshot of what happens when three heavy hitters collide—smooth, sassy, and impossible to shake. - Chase