Sean Ruthven Nelson
debuted on
Paul Institute
in 2017 with "Evil," a modern synth-funk jam the singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer wrote while on call as a firefighter in his native London. He had answered
Jai Paul
and
A.K. Paul
's open invitation for submissions, and was welcomed to the brothers' label, launched with the simultaneous release of "Evil" and
Fabiana Palladino
's "Mystery." An EP's worth of additional
Ruthven
singles trickled out through 2023, the year the artist further introduced himself with dates opening for kindred spirit and collaborator
Sampha
.
Rough & Ready
, produced primarily by
A.K.
, contains a few of the pre-2024 singles, including "123 Days," a stressed if upbeat hybrid of
Bullion
-style art pop and
Nightfly
-era
Donald Fagen
, and "Don't Keep It to Yourself," smoothly amorous and burning soul-funk with a boogie undercurrent. Similarly, the album in general is a synthesis greater than the sum of its vintage and contemporary inspirations.
's guttural-to-feathery voice recalls singers ranging from
Jamie Lidell
to
Maxwell
, and is set apart by a quality that is cordial in manner and effect. The songs deal with love and life, drawn from
's experiences and embellished with fictitious characters in mind. They're adorned with melodies and ad-libs that are deceptively intricate and often propagate in unexpected places. Take the
James Ingram
-like falsetto howl that breaks out on "Cautious," or the trilling hook on the following "Indulge." (The lilting electronic keyboard work on both songs resembles that of prime
Michael McDonald
; the latter song's repeated question, "Are you running scared?," is hatched like an Easter egg referencing the buddy cop film that featured the
Doobie Brother
on the soundtrack.) Elsewhere, "Itch" is the richest homage to 1982-1984
Prince
since
the-Dream
's "Yamaha" -- if with deep synthesizer bass and the threat of a marching band takeover -- while the supple "I Can't Go There" could pass for a cover of
Jamie Woon
circa
Making Time
. A grand curveball completes the album. "Drive It," as openhearted as anything that precedes it, is split between tense piano ballad and oblique blues flame-out; only a select few singers could possibly match the singer's upper-register exclamations without sounding a fool or breaking into a fit of laughter.
's vocals there and everywhere else are clear and upfront, in sync with played and programmed instrumentation that comes across like a transmission from a small, spacious warehouse. ~ Andy Kellman