Tuesday, May 19, 2015

NEW RELEASES: CONYA DOSS - SEVEN; SEAN & STARR - LOOK CLOSER; TY CAUSEY - CAUSE & EFFECT

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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