FILE
UNDER: RAW FUNK & SOUL
In
a desert of computerized over-produced faux-R&B,
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings’ "Naturally"
is a cool glass of water for anyone thirsty for Real Soul
and Funk Music. On this, their sophomore release on
Brooklyn’s
own independent Daptone Records, they have succeeded in transcending
the boundaries of time to bring us face to face with the
naked body of vintage Soul.
From
the first track, a funk-infused shuffle, the Dap-Kings
carve a deep and heavy groove which only gets deeper and
heavier as the needle cuts further into the flesh of the
album. Through ten solid
tracks, ‘Naturally’ explores the many moods
and tempos of a group that is quickly earning a reputation
as one of the hottest live acts across the nation, stretching
their versatility to map out the full panorama of the idiom
in which they so effortlessly reside. They are able
to bring us back to 1970 not with the usual bell-bottomed
conventions and wah-wah clichés employed by so many
retro-funk wannabe’s, but by reaching back to the
original source of all that good music: sincerity, integrity,
melody, and an unwavering loyalty to rhythm.
In
arrangements punctuated by bold horns and tastefully accented
with piano, vibes, and strings, the Dap-Kings road-tight
rhythm section expertly frames the skeleton of a classic
Soul album, breathing life into a body of songs penned
exclusively for Sharon Jones’ unique
voice. In turn, she masterfully and instinctively
reaches beyond the basic melodies into her gospel-soaked
roots to pour every drop of herself into each note that
passes her lips, elevating the music from craft to art. With
every moan she reminds us that before Whitney, Mariah,
and Jay-Z, there was Tina, Aretha, and J.B.
Whether
it’s the hard-hitting funk of ‘My Man
Is A Mean Man’ you crave or the transporting balladeering
of ‘Stranded’ or ‘All Over Again’,
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings’ ‘Naturally’ is
destined to occupy a permanent space in your heart and in
your record collection. |
