I really didn’t think people were capable of making albums like this anymore. What you’ve got here is a mix of old school soul a la Stax Records or the Funk Brothers, some incredible vocal duets, and yet a dash and hint of hip hop styled singing by male vocalist Elmer Demond that gives you hope for a safer world.
Hard hitting horns that are bold and brassy with a funky R&B feel dominate this set. The opening “My Own Way” includes the voices of Aubrey Logan and Elmer Demond letting loose with joy and style. Who let this lady out of her cage? She’s WILD! A back beat bass that won’t let go serves as the engine for Logan’s confident and collected delivery of “Rooftops & Parking Lots” while her solo feature on “Change” is winsome and soft. If this lady has a solo album out, I GOTTA find it. WOW
Demond, meanwhile, walks the tightrope without a net underneath. His rich voice is used in the hip hop delivery as on the git down and funky “We Big Tonight” and 70s soul “The Belief” and makes the melding of styles work to satisfy and unify two divergent schools of ears and dancing feat. He makes this vocal genre sound more universal and less trendy. As for the band, Elliot Deutsch delivers a trumpet solo on “We Big Tonight” and Alexander Meyers blows his alto on “Prophecy” that make you feel like it’s a sweaty night in the Apollo. When are they coming to town?!??
Lombardy Records