Thursday, May 17, 2018

MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: LAKE STREET DIVE - FREE YOURSELF UP

More brilliant vocalese from the jazzy-pop troupe and their amazing lead singer Rachael Price. Her rich, brassy pipes lead the way through each song as a true soloist, soaring above the music, adding lots of extra notes to the melody lines, and delivering some fun lines with absolute power. "Tell him I'm a good kisser," she blasts at the start of a chorus, reminding us how a great singer takes over a line.

On the track Shame, Shame, Shame, it's a joy to hear her mirror Bridget Kearney's bass lines, funky grooves from each of them. Kearney really steps up on this disc, writing or co-writing seven of the ten cuts, from the relationship finger-pointing in Dude, to the national nervousness in Baby, Don't Leave Me Alone With My Thoughts ("An old man has got his little hands on the button/Feels like nothing anyone can do/people out there are cracking up/And I'm just trying to keep it together"). Michael Calabrese (drums) and Mike Olson (guitar) add the rest of the cuts, with lots more funk, spice and great choruses and backing vocals. I bet Prince would have loved to produce this band.

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