NENEH CHERRY - BLANK PROJECT
Neneh Cherry's
Blank Project is her first solo album in 16 years - a collaboration with
RocketNumberNine, produced by Four Tet, and featuring a guest appearance by
Robyn. While her energy and demeanor may not have changed since the days of Rip
Rig + Panic, musically, Blank Project is a departure from anything Neneh has previously
done and was initially written as a means of working through personal tragedy. What stands out upon first listen is the album's sparseness: loose drums and a
few synthesizers are the only accompaniment to Neneh's wildly poetic,
soul-flooded and raw vocals. Featuring combined elements of beat poetry,
avant-electronica and beautiful vocal melodies, it's a record that uses simple
ideas to create something entirely original.
Neneh will perform
at Rough Trade East in London on Tuesday evening 2/25, as well as a sold out
London show at Concrete on Wednesday 2/26. ~ giantstep
A killer batch of
70s soul – all pulled from the vaults of Invictus/Hot Wax Records! The tunes
here represent a great evolution of Detroit Soul in the second decade – a shift
of the energy of the Holland-Dozier-Holland team away from Motown music, and
into a headier realm with a host of new artists. Yet there's also a tight core
of dancefloor grooving on most numbers – those tight rhythms mixed with
impeccable production that the trio first brought to soul in the 60s. Some
tunes here are familiar, others are nicely obscure – and really make for a nice
sense of variety in the set – a list of titles that includes "Can't Get
Enough Of You" by Tyrone Edwards, "Ace In The Hole" by Honey
Cone, "Love & Liberty" by Laura Lee, "That's Love" by
The Hi-Lite, "VIP" by Scherrie Payne, "Hey There Lonely
Girl" by Ty Hunter, "Love Machine (part 1)" by McKinley Jackon
& The Politicians, and "Frightened Girl" by The Silent
Majority. ~ Dusty Groove
PATTI LABELLE - RELEASED
A real standout in
the early solo years of Patti Labelle – and a great set that reunites the
singer with New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint – who'd previously worked some
magic with Patti and the Labelle trio! Toussaint really grounds Patti's vocals
wonderfully – giving them a solid footing that moves past the pop and disco of
previous records, but which also doesn't just resort to New Orleans cliches,
either. Either Toussaint or Labelle wrote most of the songs on the record – and
together, they find a fresh batch of material that really helps establish the
singers as one of the greatest female voices in soul. The whole album's a
classic – well-balanced between mellow and upbeat numbers – and titles include
"Find The Love", "Get Ready", "Give It Up",
"Release", "I Don't Go Shopping", "Ain't That
Enough", and "Don't Make Your Angel Cry". CD features a bonus
track – "Release (The Tension) (12" disco mix)". ~ Dusty Groove
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