In addition to her distinct and expressive voice, Judith Hill shows off her songwriting prowess on Golden Child. 

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Honed through years of working with pioneers such as Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and Prince, Judith Hill’s artistic edge advantages her over some of her peers in the soul music world. As noted in our review of Hill’s live set at Pizza Express Live last July, her music is an incestuous mix of synth-pop, funk, gospel, hard rock, and vintage soul.

In an interview with Music Musings & Such, Hill described how her sophomore album Golden Child has ‘a major theme of unity’ running throughout, a response to tumultuous political times. Indeed, it is a testament to Hill’s strengths as a writer that she is able to translate such a potentially beige theme into powerful material. Opening track ‘Golden Child’ begins as a piano-driven lullaby as Hill prophecies a peaceful future. ‘The earth will move with the sound of change,’ she sings – at which point bass, synths, and drums come to life. Lead single ‘The Pepper Club’ depicts what Hill describes as a ‘cultural mecca’ – a cabaret in the desert where socialites mingle ‘in every kind of flavour’, set to a strutting, swinging funk-soul groove. It has that irresistible (and potentially commercial) blend of the retro and modern.

‘We Are One’ closes the album and compounds the message of unity. Admittedly, it is a tier less cool than Hill’s funkier tracks. But as macro-resilience anthems go, it is well written with an ascending pre-chorus that leads to Hill’s cries of ‘we are one.’ It has motion picture theme song gravitas.

Romantic songs balance out the more politicised material. On ‘Irreplaceable Love’ Hill sings of a past lover who encompassed ‘everything honest and true.’ With gospel-tinged instrumentation, the chorus carries pangs of melancholy and wistfulness. An album highlight, ‘Gypsy Lover’, tells of a fleeting amorous encounter. ‘You’re reading my body / Whispering sweets in my ear,’  Hill coos against the sizzle of funky synths. The soulful ‘Hey Stranger’ narrates a similar story, but through the language of emotional intimacy rather than sexual desire.

And the rest? ‘Chasing Rainbows’ and ‘Queen of the Hill’ strike as slightly self-indulgent – the former too diffuse, the latter over-produced. But throughout, Hill’s scratchy, slightly unpredictable (but always reliable) vocals impress. On rock song ‘I Can Only Love You by Fire’, she scoops up the lyric ‘fire‘, her voice cracking and squeaking (reminding this writer of the first sung note of Janis Joplin’s ‘Cry Baby‘). On ‘You Can’t Blame Me’, she sings with carefree swagger.

Standout Tracks: ‘The Pepper Club’, ‘Gypsy Lover’, ‘Hey Stranger’