I was working at a record store when Victim of Love came out not too long ago, and this album was one of my boss’s favorites to put on when it was his turn to play music. Figuring he’d put on some old funk CD dug out from our used archives or a Numero reissue, I sneaked over to our little “now playing” stand when I first heard it, and was pleasantly surprised to learn it was this 2013 album.

Charles Bradley is a real-deal soul singer. His raspy, raw voice cuts emotively through every ounce of music on this album. He’s also lived quite a life — Mr. Bradley worked various odd jobs around the country, including moonlighting as a James Brown impersonator for several years—before being “discovered” by a Daptone exec and releasing his breakout debut album in 2011 at the age of 62. His age and life experience give him an untouchable musical ethos that lends each song a distinctive patina.

If you like 60’s and 70’s funk, you owe it to yourself to listen to Charles Bradley, and Victim of Love (Daptone) is a good place to start. I suppose the real earworm here is “Strictly Reserved for You,” which could so easily be mistaken for a late sixties funk classic–probably because it could have been one. Make sure you watch the video for this song, as it will make you like Charles Bradley 100% more. A later track, “Where Do We Go From Here?” is particularly striking just for the title lyric—it’s an unsettling, but inspiring call to action from a rags-to-riches 65 year old singer.

Big ups to the crew at Daptone for not overdoing it with the production on Victim of Love. There’s some bass here, some horns there, but nothing that takes away from the main attraction: Charles Bradley.

Check out the full album streaming below and pick up a copy (CD or LP) at your favorite record store if you like it.