José James and this particular track was one of those gems that I found in my weekly discovery list on Spotify. Thanks Spotify! Anyway, José James is a former Jazz singer who turned to a more RnB and Neo-Soul style with his Blue Note debut record No Beginning No End which contains also features the track Trouble. To get an idea about the entire record and James’ past as well, I highly recommend you to check out the review Pursuing Many Paths to Find His Own in the New York Times.

I have no verification, but the bass on this track might come from the venerable Pino Palladino. The track features a J Dillaesque laid back rhythm during the main riff that is played by drums and bass. In the verse the rhythm becomes a bit more straight while the chorus incorporates nice eighth note anticipations. Unlike most RnB and Soul which tends to be harmonically simple, Trouble features an interesting almost Jazz-like chord progression over four different parts.

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