CONYA DOSS – SEVEN
Hard to believe we're
hearing a seventh full album from the great Conya Doss – but we've also been
loving the lady so long, it's hard to believe we could ever do without her! As
before, Conya's working here at a level that's really a cut above – wonderful vocals,
thoughtful songwriting, and a level of presentation that really avoids any
mainstream soul cliches at all – and which also avoids some of the more
overdone modes of the underground too! Conya really puts her heart into her
music right from the start – and there's a depth of feeling here that we
totally love, and which is also a bit subtle, too – so effortless that Doss
makes it all seem so easy, even though there's few people who could come across
this well. Titles include "Fragments", "Gone", "No Stronger
Love", "Reach Out", "Spend My Life", "When We
Love", "I Could Be The One", "You Got Me", and
"For Us" – which features a guest appearance by Frank McComb! ~ Dusty Groove
SAUN & STARR –
LOOK CLOSER
The mighty debut of
Saun & Starr – a female soul duo who have been best known for their backing
work behind Sharon Jones – stepping out here into the spotlight with some great
support from the Dap-Kings! Although funky, the duo also have more of a deep
soul approach than Sharon Jones – a quality that's very old school, and which
burns with the fire of some lost 70s session on Stax Records – the kind of
super-heavy sound that first made us fall in love with the Daptone label so
many years back! The Dap-Kings are at their best in the setting – maybe looser,
and more personal than on some of their recordings with Jones – and titles
include "In The Night", "Dear Mr Teddy", "Look
Closer", "Hot Shot", "Sunshine", "If Only", "Your
Face Before My Eyes", and "Big Wheel". ~ Dusty Groove
TY CAUSEY – CAUSE & EFFECT
Beautifully smooth
soul from Ty Causey – a singer who comes across with just the sort of class
you'd expect from his image on the cover! Ty's been giving us great records for
years, but this set may well be his best – a wonderfully mature session that
carries forward echoes of earlier generations of sensual soul singers – like
Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, or Ronald Isley – but with a lean quality that's nicely
indie, and very contemporary in the presentation of the material! Warm
keyboards resonate strongly with the vocals on just about every number – and
titles include "Just Another Love Affair", "It's Gotta Be
Love", "Testify", "So Beautiful", "Don't Rush The
Flow", and "Missin You". ~ Dusty Groove
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