Famously recognized as one-half of Hall & Oates, John Oates is a talented and fascinating musician.
A huge part of making Hall & Oates the best-selling music duo of all time – co-writing massive hits of theirs, including 1973’s “She’s Gone,” 1975’s “Sara Smile,” 1982’s “Maneater,” among countless others – John Oates has also solidified himself as a solo artist. He proved to be a viable creator on his own as early as 1986, when his song “(She’s the) Shape of Things to Come” was featured on the soundtrack of the romantic comedy About Last Night. Since then, Oates has continued to grow.
Remaining very busy touring with Daryl Hall & John Oates for decades, in 2002, he released his debut album, Phunk Shui, and it was an excellent example of Soft Rock. Moving forward into 2008, Oates showcased a completely different side of himself with the album 1000 Miles of Life. Oates then first explored the world of more Folk and Americana-styled music with 2011’s Mississippi Mile, continued along this road with 2014’s Good Road to Follow, diverted back to a more Blues Rock sound, and 2018’s Arkansas found him comfortably within the Country Blues realm.
These are all interesting discoveries, considering Oates was born in New York City and raised in Philadelphia. So, where does this Americana, Country, and Folk influence come from? The story goes that when Oates was younger, he visited his uncle in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and felt a deep connection with the area. As a result, this followed him throughout life, and he found a comfortable place writing and recording music inspired by the sounds he grew up with.
This is all considered, but in 2024, he returns with yet another Country-spiced album called Reunion. Released on May 17th through Jasper Productions, the album’s title track and namesake held deep meaning for Oates, who was inspired by his 100-year-old father, who told him that he was preparing to be reunited with his mother, who had passed away years prior. A beautiful sentiment, Oates also teamed up with a list of talented co-writers for tracks on the album, which includes Jim Croce’s son, A.J. Croce, and Adam Ezra. Together, Oates and close friends put a beautiful collection of songs that tell stories of life, love, and the memories we make in between it all.
A total of twelve tracks, including a cover of Country Folk icon John Prine’s “Long Monday,” a lovely new mix of the 2008 Oates song “I Found Love,” plus acoustic and live recordings, there is a lot to Reunion. Altogether, the album feels like a glimpse into Oates’ most profound thoughts. The songs bleed emotion and introspective views on life, family, and what truly matters. Matched with Oates’ bluesy singing, natural guitar progressions, and melodies, Reunion is a smooth mix of Folk Rock that will immediately please.
With the title track acting as an anchor for the collection, others like “This Field Is Mine,” “All I Am,” plus the must-listen newly remixed “I Found Love” each complement one another. So, if you happened to miss Reunion earlier in 2024, it is never too late to give it the look it deserves. Furthermore, Oates released a cool, retro, and tingling R&B-tinged single called “Mending” with Devon Gilfillian. This is before, as recently as November, Oates released a standalone single with the Adam Ezra Group, entitled “Juna Please,” which is also well worth checking out. All matters taken into consideration, Cryptic Rock gives John Oates’ Reunion 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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