SOUL’S SEVEN COLOURS

alt

It was just two years ago that the progressive soul world was mightily impressed by Nashville-based DARA TUCKER’S album ‘Oklahoma Rain’. The LP was actually Dara’s fourth studio album but ‘Oklahoma Rain’ really grabbed the attention of soul tastemakers and savvy radio stations that were enamoured by cuts like ‘Radio’, ‘The Road’ and the album’s title cut. Hard to define and pigeon-hole, those cuts were properly soulful but not classic soul. There were hints of jazz, country, gospel, Americana and lots more and you can enjoy more of Ms Tucker’s eclecticism on her new album ‘The Seven Colours’.

Her people tell us that the LP title accurately reflects the set’s music, which, they say, contains “a colourful mix of the 7 genres that make up her musical mosaic – jazz, blues, gospel, Americana, musical theatre, pop and soul”. See what I just meant about “eclecticism”?

The album is best considered as an entity – so churlish to cherry pick highlights but of note are the broody and sombre ‘End Of The River’ and ‘Song Of Freedom’. The soft acoustic opener (the album’s title cut) is possibly the most radio-friendly (it references the lovely ‘Oklahoma Rain’ by the way and is sure to move your emotions). The nearest the album gets to the classic soul sound is on ‘Window’ which channels a kind of ‘Clean Up Woman’ southern soul sound while for something very different try the old fashioned, hand-clapping, boot-thumping ‘A Place Like This’.

‘The Seven Colours’ was produced by guitarist Charlie Hunter and will be released on May 31st