Serious Music

As she begins a relationship with a new label, Leela James presents a selection of all-original songs, contrasting Let’s Do It Again (Shanachie, 2009), where the classic soul singer paid tribute to iconic soul singers and songwriters who informed her career. The collection is refreshing, starting with the powerhouse” I Ain’t New To This,” which contains a sample of Millie Jackson’s “Solitary Love Affair” during its intro. James keeps things going with “I Want It All,” its thumping bass line a clear tribute to ’70s funk. She doesn’t want to sound retro here, using the arrangement more as reference than direct influence.

Those who have seen James perform live will attest that her shows are highly energetic, and the same goes for this disc. “Party All Night” is a step in that direction, and seems to have been written with the stage in mind. It possesses a strong backbeat, the perfect showcase for James’ powerful pipes and a relentless dance track. But the greatest highlight is her “Mr. Incredible, Ms. Unforgettable,” a sexy duet with Raheem DeVaughn (who also co-wrote the song), whose lyrics make this one of the greatest make-out songs this year yet. Can’t wait to hear that in a live format. Read more…

It’s not something he’s often credited for but since he started singing on his stuff Jamie Lidell has proved that he knows how to open an album. Multiply kicks off with the quick punch of You Got Me Up then moves onto two of Lidell’s most memorable tracks, namely Multiply and When I Come Back Around. Jim kept up the trend, commencing with the irresistibly sweet Another Day before turning up the tempo with Wait For Me and Out Of My System. Even so, Compass’s triple-threat opening sequence ranks amongst his finest.

Completely Exposed, the album’s first track, manages to be bombastic without relying on much except sporadic instrumentation on top of a strong beat and Lidell’s effected vocals. It sounds assured and its a confident contribution to the modern day soul canon. The same goes for Your Sweet Boom, which plays like a Prince track obfuscated by intentionally muddy production ethics. Rounding off the album’s opening sequence is She Needs Me - another nod in the direction of Prince, but a nod that neo-soul aficionados might lovingly recognise. For sure, with slightly different production the song could easily have found its way onto 90s R&B radio.

Compass uncovers other places where Lidell shines and, surprisingly, it’s using sounds and textures not previously associated with his work. The title track of the album changes shape throughout the song - from acoustic picking to rich orchestral flourishes to a heavy Latin beat - but always retains a focus on Lidell’s vocal, a feature that comes into prominence as the album progresses. Indeed, Lidell’s vocals early on are soaked in reverb or compressed to an almost unrecognisable degree, at times giving Lidell the aura of an academic interested in modernising soul and funk, rather than an artist emotionally engaged in it. That is, however, until the album’s closer. You See My Light is a take as honest and open as anything in Lidell’s catalogue and is worthy of the attention of listeners who have no interest in anything he’s done before. Read more…