Following a 2019 episode of police harassment in front of his own building, the Detroit house legend’s latest goes hard on depth and funk. Taken Away dispenses immersion therapy like last year’s woozy beaut, Sinner, and stinks of George Clinton like 2014’s self-titled long-player. But there’s often an ache where the fun used to be. There’s funk, in both senses of the world. “Goodbye Everybody” summons Lowell Fulson’s “Prison Bound,” swapping the original’s bluesy stomp for a roiling swamp of what sound like detuned bells and percussion that hisses like tasers. It’s closer in spirit to Erykah Badu than, say, boompty house. The crisp breaks and comfy swing of “Let Me In” could be legit Badu, or even Mary J., but Moodymann counters the grace of the (uncredited) female voices with spite: “You’ve never been a good soul to anyone/Especially me.”
| A1 | Do Wrong |
| A2 | Taken Away |
| B1 | I'm Already Hi |
| B2 | Let Me In |
| B3 | Goodbye Everybody |
| C1 | Let Me Show You Love |
| C2 | Slow Down |
| D1 | Stay A While |
| D2 | Taken Away (Original) |
| E1 | TiredOfLooking4UTimeForU2ComeLooking4Me |
| E2 | We Wanna Party |
| E3 | Cotton 4 Daze |
| F1 | Pullup Selecta |
| F2 | Thought About It |
| F3 | I Got Werk |
