One of the exciting things happening in music these days is the resurgence of earthy Stax-styled R&B. Vocalist Hannah Williams is the most recent and most exciting ones to enter into the circle, delivering a style similar to Sharon Jones. This album has her with the tight group called The Affirmations, consisting of James Graham/key-g, Adam Newton/b, Jai Widdowson-Jones/dr, Nicholas Malcom/tp, Liam Treasure/tb, John Pratt/bs and some guest vocalists and musicians throughout this foot stomping album.
Her voice has an attractive leathered tone, and she flexes it well as on the deep rivulet of a groove on “Woman Got Soul” and “Still In My Head.” The horns punch like Merriwether on “Tame in the Water” while she bears her soul on “Your Luck Can Change.” A real ringer is a mix of Memphis and Spinal Tap on a take of Led Zeppelin’s “Dazed and Confused.” The team has moxie-when are they coming to So Cal?
Record Kicks