Eli ReedThis might be the first article about Eli “Paperboy” Reed that doesn’t mention his being a white dude from Brookline who sings the blues. D’oh. Well, at least we tried. Reed’s roots were pen candy for critics reviewing his lovingly received 2008 Q Division release, Roll With You. Still, only media folks seemed to care about the 25-year-old singer/songwriter/ musician’s anomalous background. For blues fans — and even for fellow artists who he came of age jamming with down South and in black churches around Boston — the only thing that mattered was the boy’s retro soul.As the only act signed by Virgin Records America in 2008, it’s clear that the music world sees Reed as more than just the Eminem of R&B. And for a young artist who moved to Mississippi as a teenager to tap his beloved genre’s inspirational mecca, respect has always been tantamount to true success. “All I wanted was for everybody to talk about [Roll With You] on the basis of the songs and the music,” says Reed. “You can get caught up in so much — and I understand that — so I was happy that there were at least some people out there who took me seriously.”Reed acknowledges that the time is ripe for his soul-survivor onslaught. “I especially credit Amy Winehouse,” he says. “Things would not have gone this well if not for her record. It made people realize that soul music is just pop, that really good songs and good singing and arranging ought to be popular again.” Between Brooklyn’s Sharon Jones, her Dap-Kings, and the aforementioned British degenerate with golden windpipes, the world is extra ready for a young New Englander who sports throwback leisure suits, gold watches, and a mane full of shiny goop.
