"Sketches of a Man" is unusually pensive and nuanced neo-soul, cutting back on cockiness and replacing it with smart relationship poetry. Of course, all the rich rhymeology wouldn't mean much if it weren't underlined with plush beatscapes and soft vocal lines.
If you were to create a bionic band that compresses together the dazzling rhythms of
B.T. Express, the sexy vocals of
Prince, and the electro-funk sensibility of
Afrika Bambaataa, you'd wind up with something similar to
Plant Life. It's hard to pigeonhole the L.A. band's style, but like predecessors
James Brown and
Sly Stone, Plant Life has a knack for capturing the true essence of heartfelt soul music.