EP Review: Al Green - To Love Somebody

On this four-track set of covers, Green edges away from the sensuous grooves of his signature hits—the ones Willie Mitchell produced in the ‘70s at Hi Records—to express a more reflective mood. His voice is a bit softer now yet viscerally sincere, as if each of these songs is the most important thing in his world in the moments he sings it. On “I Found a Reason,” for instance, Green renders Lou Reed’s lyrics with expected tenderness while, at times, surprising pathos. On another Reed composition, “Perfect Day,” which Green previously released in 2003 as a solo single, he duets with British pop star Raye, yielding a sumptuous, low-key love song. Green also previously released his included version of R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts,” this one in 2024, but he summons such righteousness it makes sense to include it in this modest collection. The crown jewel here however is the title track, the Bee Gees classic which was originally written for Otis Redding to record. Green speeds it up somewhat, turning out a gospel sensibility that never falters, much like the talent of the great man himself.