Seraphina Lotkhamnga on January 4th, 2013

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Before Gary Clark Jr. came roaring through your headphones, there was Cody Chesnutt. The Atlanta, Ga.,-based R&B and neo soul artist first made his debut with 2002’s “The Headphone Masterpiece,” which was recorded on a 4-track cassette recorder in his bedroom. Aside from writing and producing for groups like Six Feet Deep, Chesnutt is responsible for singing that memorable hook in “The Seed” by the Roots. His sophomore album “Landing On A Hundred” is more polished thanks to proper recording at the Memphis-based Royal Studios, but the soul elements run deeper. Cutting the original tracks on two-inch tape and singing on the same mic Al Green recorded with may have had something to do with it, but Chesnutt’s undeniable talent has gotten him right where he belongs. The album title, which derives from the slang saying, “Keeping It One Hundred” – meaning telling the whole truth – features songs like “That’s Still Mama” which combines blues, Southern soul, rock and funk, and is out now via One Little Indian.

||| Stream: “That’s Still Mama”

||| Live: Cody Chesnutt plays Jan. 26 at the Troubadour.