" ... there's little question that the sultry gloss of Black is a consolidation of 2014's Riser, a record slicker and straighter than its predecessors ... Only when he brings Trombone Shorty in for a cameo on "Mardi Gras" does the pace actually quicken, but Black is intentionally bereft of such carefree moments ... It's mood music, sometimes playing as smooth as a seduction but better suited for moments of introspection when you're surrounded by a crowd and need to isolate".