Most know that Motown is still going strong. Universal relaunched it in 2011 and with a few tweaks here and there, the label still issues new music that is often ground breaking – just as it was in the golden days of the 60s!
Latest single on the venerable label is ‘It’s Never That Deep’ from a young singer known simply as NOBY. We don’t know too much about Mr. N save that he’s a singer-songwriter, and producer hailing from Alabama. His background is in gospel (there’s a surprise!). His mother was a devout Pentecostal; thus he grew up with a relationship and affinity for the music-making that exists within the Black church. Something of a prodigy, he began playing the piano in musical household aged just 9!
Now his new music. ‘It’s Never That Deep’ isn’t gospel for sure, nor does it proffer the classic Motown sound revered by collectors. Rather it’s a modern R&B ballad which Noby delivers convincingly. His soulful vocal is totally contemporary and , if you think on it, that was what Motown was all about in these great days of the 60s.
He says of the song, “’It’s Never That Deep’ speaks to the contradiction of having high expectations for a lover without being able to fully commit. It encapsulates the realities of an unbalanced love affair that is never fully reciprocated.” Now you know!
