Soul Express Album Review JOSLYN Joslyn Featuring So Very (US Power Music, 2006) 1) So Cool 2) Used 3) Let’s Play 4) Hangin’ On A String 5) Love Surreal 6) Do Whatcho Gonna Do 7) At The Same Time 8) Jackie’s Playin’ Tonight 9) Supernatural 10) Got To Keep On 11) Stay High This little outfit spring from Salt Lake City and jolly good they are too. It has many musical flavours, all of which are toothsome indeed. The UK soul scene will lap up the Togetherness style flavours, the rootsy and earthier elements of Incognito are definitely present and there are murmers of Jill Scott, Jody Watley and India Arie too. So, we have a strong neo-soul flavour as well. I can also discern a hint of the Naked Music vibe as well. Fans of, say JK, will lap this up as will those who dug the latest Everyday People project courtesy of my old mucker, Steve Harvey. Does this appeal to you? Well, it certainly get my musical tastebuds going. If cheerful, optimistic stepping grooves are your cup of tea then you can’t beat the superb starter, "So Cool". This should be getting as much exposure on radio as possible. If you loved the uptempo numbers from Janita over the past few years then this will speak to you in a big way. It is utterly contemporary but has more than a foothold in the sensibilities of the past. "Used To" is another essential slab of midtempo magic where Joslyn really shines in the vocal department. Their take on Loose Ends’ "Hangin’ On A String" really is different and far from not liking it I really think that they have made the song their own without cheapening the original. There should be few if any complaints about this. The KILLER track for me is the beautiful and haunting "Love Surreal". The acoustic guitar is all that supports Joslyn’s sexy vocals for a while, then the sparse yet real instrumentation kicks in. This song has a completely different feel to it. Not only will lovers of quality black music love this, I can see fans of Tina Arena or Lisa Loeb also liking this one. The backing music is almost what St. Paul would come up with on a very good day. I really cannot stop playing it and it's one of my favourites for this Autumn. If that isn’t exactly your taste (and if not – shame on you!!! LOL) then I bet your bottom dollar that the tremendous "At The Same Time" will appeal. It has a haunting intro where Joslyn does the business supported ably by So Very (Rob Wannamaker and Craig Poole). This is another current fave of mine. If Impromp2 are to your liking then I suggest that "Jackie’s Playin’ Tonight" will appeal to you. This has a great deal of Steve Harvey to it and that is definitely not a bad thing. The vocal interchange on here is really strong and the Rhodes and horns really add some class to the song. If strings are your thing then check out "Supernatural" which has great chunky, erratic beats and smooth vocals from Rob Wannamaker. This really is quality, make no mistake. I cannot recommend "Stay High" enough either. This is a fine song to round off the album. I particularly like the keys and strings. Very very, soulful indeed. Yet again the little labels show the Majors that they are so, so wrong and out of touch. This album is available from www.soulchoonz.com. Please check it out as it is one not to be missed. - Barry Towler Other CD Reviews Albums of the Month in 2006 Albums of the Month in 2005 Albums of the Month in 2004 Albums of the Month in 2003 Albums of the Month in 2002 Albums of the Month in 2001 Albums of the Month in 2000 Albums of the Month in 1999 Albums of the Month in 1998 Albums of the Month in 1997 |