James Rawls is a freelance writer who runs Me Like Good Music, a website dedicated to recommending underrated music of multiple genres, especially artists flying under the radar of popular music. He is a graduate of Yale University and can be followed on Twitter at @MeLikeGoodMusic.
The term "blue-eyed soul" has been used for the last 40-something years to describe soul music performed by white singers. What frequently went with that distinction was an air of diluted or inauthentic quality to the music. In other words, it just didn't sound like "the real thang." Well, Alice Russell smashes through that restrictive mold like no other since Teena Marie. (Maybe her mother watched episodes of "Good Times" while she was pregnant.)
| Lush, bluesy, funky, sassy, smooth, jazzy, powerful, provocative, in the pocket, confident, vulnerable, soulful, raw...and thems just the appetizers of the succulent delicacies she brings to her musical table. Her genre-hopping style will provide you with a well-balanced variety to feast on; leaving you full and satisfied. (Okay, I'll stop with the food metaphors.)
Seriously, I'm always a little nervous when an artist attempts to give you multiple genres on a single CD. It's a risky venture that frequently ends in mediocrity or disaster or both. However, when it works, something truly special happens. That's exactly what this British singer achieves on My Favourite Letters, her second solo release.
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By James Rawls
The term "blue-eyed soul" has been used for the last 40-something years to describe soul music performed by white singers. What frequently went with that distinction was an air of diluted or inauthentic quality to the music. In other words, it just didn't sound like "the real thang." Well, Alice Russell smashes through that restrictive mold like no other since Teena Marie. (Maybe her mother watched episodes of "Good Times" while she was pregnant.)
| Lush, bluesy, funky, sassy, smooth, jazzy, powerful, provocative, in the pocket, confident, vulnerable, soulful, raw...and thems just the appetizers of the succulent delicacies she brings to her musical table. Her genre-hopping style will provide you with a well-balanced variety to feast on; leaving you full and satisfied. (Okay, I'll stop with the food metaphors.)
Seriously, I'm always a little nervous when an artist attempts to give you multiple genres on a single CD. It's a risky venture that frequently ends in mediocrity or disaster or both. However, when it works, something truly special happens. That's exactly what this British singer achieves on My Favourite Letters, her second solo release. She's quoted as saying Chaka Khan is one of her major influences. In my opinion, she does Chaka proud. Alice Russell sings like a woman with something to prove and I love her for it. I'm sure that little voice in the back of her head is saying "sing for your enemies, baby and when you're done, tell 'em 'take that!'".
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| http://www.melikegoodmusic.com/Music/What We Want.mp3 http://www.melikegoodmusic.com/Music/Mean To Me.mp3 http://www.melikegoodmusic.com/Music/Mirror Mirror on the Wolf.mp3 If you like this artist, check out other music recommendations at <ahref="http://www.melikegoodmusic.com" title="Me Like Good Music - The Source for Underrated Music and Artists Flying Under the Radar of Popular Music">Me Like Good Music</a>. |