A small city in Mississippi’s Clay County, West Point is the home of one of the most exciting gospel groups to emerge in recent times: Annie & The Caldwells, who have just returned to their native US after a highly successful maiden European tour that brought them rave reviews and well-deserved mainstream media attention. They might seem like an an overnight sensation but The Caldwells have been performing for decades, serving up a uniquely infectious brand of disco-fuelled gospel music whose early-’80s sound has echoes of the Valentine Brothers, Womack & Womack, and the Gap Band.
With hints of the late Gwen McCrae and Candi Staton in her magnificently raw and husky voice, Annie Caldwell, whom some might know from her time in the Staples Jr. Singers, is a force of nature. The gospel matriarch is supported by her daughters Deborah Caldwell Moore and Anjessica Caldwell, who are bolstered by goddaughter Toni Rivers; her husband of 50 years, Joe, plays guitar alongside the couple’s two sons – their eldest, Willie Jr. plays bass opposite his younger sibling, drummer Abel Aquirius Caldwell. What results is truly a family affair.
The group’s debut album, which has had writers from UK rock and pop mags salivating like Pavlov’s proverbial dog, certainly justifies the plaudits it’s received. Impeccably produced by Ahmed “Sinkane” Gallab, it’s a delectable confection of euphoric hymnals that could turn apostates and agnostics into Bible-thumping believers.
The opener ‘Wrong’ – featuring Deborah Caldwell-Moore – sets the tone with its addictive hook and lean dancefloor pulse while the gentle ‘Can’t Lose My (Soul)’ with its svelte harmonies and twinkly keyboards is more meditative; an exhortation defined by divine call-and-response vocals. It’s back to the church dancefloor for ‘I Made It,’ a story of redemption whose insistent refrain – “You dropped a bomb on me” – summons the spirit of the Gap Band. By contrast, ‘Don’t You Hear Me Calling’ is a storytelling mid-tempo ballad about perseverance where Annie Caldwell’s testifying vocals are cushioned by a mesmeric soundscape characterized by churning guitar arpeggios. The tempo drops for ‘I’m Going To Rise,’ a compelling tale of resurrection, before the album climaxes with the groove ballad ‘Dear Lord,’ where Caldwell praises Jesus after her family’s lives are saved from a house fire.
This is an exceptional debut from a group whose marriage of messages and music will leave you wanting more. Feel the spirit!
(The album is released 21st of March).
(CW) 4/5
