Being a soul singer isn't easy when you weren't made for these times. Noel Gourdin, an up-and-coming neo-souldier from Boston, Massachusetts, is trying to make the best of his position as an old soul in a modern age. For a guy who grew up listening to and learning from soul classics (he didn't have enough money for vocal training), Noel has always been influenced by the singers of the past and adopted their vocal techniques, whether it was Curtis Mayfield's falsetto coos or Marvin Gaye's heartiness. It's just too bad he can never make music in the age when they were fresh on the scene.

But Noel is trying to channel that same old school vibe with the release of his debut album, After My Time. Slated for July 22, Time has the warmth and familiarity of a Curtis Mayfield record but with the added spin of modern hip-hop and neo-soul touches. Noel states that he incorporated the feel of the "negro spiritual" on the album, a sentiment that is captured on the Kay Gee-produced single "The River." The track has the southern sweetness of a summer day, serving as a soulful and timeless jam that addresses topics like the curiosity of love and baptism.

But After My Time isn't just a throwback soul record. Noel worked with vintage-R&B wunderkind Raphael Saadiq who helped bridge that classic '60s sound with contemporary hip-hop elements on their untitled collaboration. Noel even outright samples Notorious B.I.G.'s "Who Shot Ya?" on "Open," produced by Salaam Remi (the man who helped give Amy Winehouse that vintage sound) and A Tribe Called Quest's "Lyrics to Go" on "Hurts Like Hell."

Even if he wasn't made for these times, Noel is adjusting to them by updating the past with conventions of the present. Speaking in his sultry voice, Noel spoke with Senior Editor Steven about why he considers Raphael a "genius," how he hears traces of Prince in his vocals and just what was so great about the long-gone days of Motown.



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