Read below for our latest review round-up!
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Brother Zulu – ‘Fine!’
‘Fine’ is the second single from Future Soul collective Brother Zulu. In contrast to their debut single ‘Honey’ – a simmering, sensual slice of neo-soul – their boisterous follow-up marks a departure both sonically and emotionally. Motivated by the frustration of receiving a driving penalty, ‘Fine’ has futuristic, spacey production – anchored by lead vocalist Max Tuohy’s muscular vocals – while merging grime, funk, and garage. On its release day (15th March), the song topped a Spotify ‘Ready for the Day’ playlist. This is a band to watch.
India Arie – Worthy
Anyone familiar with India Arie’s discography knows that she can craft a comforting, cooing romantic jam. Worthy (Arie’s eighth studio album) has its fair share, with the classic sounding ‘Steady Love’ leading the pack wherein Arie extols the possibilities of domestic bliss with her learned, athletic, and politically-conscious man. It also contains the best lyric of the album: ‘…He’s a warrior in the streets / But he’s a king in the sheets‘. Varying the musical delivery, she hits a similar theme in the sparse, semi-acoustic ‘In Good Trouble’, the folksy ‘Crazy’, and the Caribbean-tinged ‘That Magic’. Her characteristic wisdom and contemplative social commentary shines through on the sharply-written ‘Rollercoaster’, the self-defiant ‘Coulda Shouda Woulda (‘Today I will walk in my power‘), and Black History Anthem anthem ‘What If (‘What if Martin didn’t stand up/What if Rosa didn’t sit down‘). Even when lyrics and production stray into the pedestrian, Arie’s gospel-influenced, intimate vocal delivery – as if her lips are pressed firmly against the microphone – is irresistible.
Standout Tracks: ‘Steady Love’, ‘Rollercoaster’, ‘Follow the Sun’
Chaka Khan – Hello Happiness
Hello Happiness, Chaka Khan’s first studio album since 2007’s Funk This, pulses with fresh, contemporary energy. Packed full of sizzling dancefloor stompers, Khan’s elastic, piercing vocals are given plenty of space to roam. It’s not the stuff of legend, but it’s pretty good.
Standout Track: The moody ‘Too Hot’
Dionne Warwick – ‘What the World Needs Now’
In May 2019, legacy artist Dionne Warwick will be releasing her first studio album in five years, She’s Back. Earlier this year it was announced that Ms Warwick would be receiving a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to music. The first single from the upcoming album is a re-recorded version of the Burt Bacharach/Hal David classic ‘What the World Needs Now’. Is it better than Warwick’s original recording? No. But she nonetheless sounds fantastic here: restrained, subtle, and husky. The choir provides a tasteful uplift.
(Image copyright: Lawrence Ajadi, Max Tuohy; India.Arie Inc, under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management;Diary Records Inc; Nipple, LLC & Entertainment One US)
