SONG PREMIERE: Alain Zane Find Inspiration in Love with Sultry R&B Number “Wunuvakine”

“This record is a whole world unto itself,” says singer/multi-instrumentalist Cat Colbert, one half of the daring new LA duo Alain Zane. “There’s all these different characters with all these different perspectives: the forlorn lover, the lonesome criminal, the omniscient narrator. All the players are there, all coming together in this symphony of souls.”

When it comes to Right Before Your Eyes, Alain Zane’s bold and ambitious debut, soul is the operative word. Recorded, assembled, and in some cases dramatically reimagined by producer/DJ/multi-instrumentalist Ethan Browne, the music here is slick and groove-driven, mixing the old school R&B and funk of Roy Ayers or Grover Washington with the more modern flair of D’Angelo or Maxwell. That wide-ranging fusion of sounds and decades is no coincidence: some of the underlying performance tracks date back nearly 30 years to a long lost session by a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s band (more on that later), while others are brand new recordings cut in the studio by Browne and Colbert themselves.

Despite its varied source material, though, the collection still manages to remain remarkably cohesive, tied together by the duo’s keen melodic instincts and lyrical synchronicity. The pair write about love from every angle on the album, examining the dizzying highs of infatuation along with the devastating lows of heartbreak and the fundamental need for connection that ultimately drives us all. The result is an adventurous hybrid of genres and eras fueled by empathy and imagination, an intoxicating collection that tips its cap to everything from Blackstreet and The Delfonics to Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder as it reckons with pain and ecstasy, fear and commitment, isolation and communication.

Today Glide is excited to premiere the standout track “Wunuvakine,” a sultry R&B number that is sure to get listeners grooving. Firing off with smooth vocals and a cool, sensual beat, the song exudes confidence as the lyrics capture the feelings of falling in love. Considering this group is a duo, it is surprising to hear such a full rich sound.

Ethan Browne describes the inspiration and process behind the song:

Wunuvakine was inspired by a special girl. It’s about meeting someone and knowing right away that you are deep in love. The song is a conversation between the listener and someone that mesmerizes and just knocks you off your feet; a dialogue of desire for a stunning new muse.

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