Soul Strutter: 03/18/23

Saturday, 18 March 2023

Dragonfruit [2023] - Honeymoon Phase [Wicked Wax]

We receive a promo in Feb for the last single, "Flashing Lights", from Rotterdam based group Dragonfly but never managed to get around to posting it. Their second single of 2023, "Honeymoon Phase", was released yesterday and we most certainly won't miss this one as it is even better and we'll also post the previous single in case you also missed it.

The four piece group consists of lead singer Danique van der Vlugt, Anton de Bruin, Sjoerd Huissoon, and Thijmen Molema and emerged in 2018 out of their love for hip-hop samples and neo soul. They released a debut album "Gears Of The Giant Machine" in Oct 2021.

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Details

Rating:	8.4 / 8.2
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	17/03/2023 / 17/02/2023
Key/BPM:	11A/111 / 10A/105
Price:	£1

LeVelle [2023] - Only If [Sono Recording Group]

We were first introduced to Kansa City's Chester LeVelle Browning (aka LB) in Sep 2021 with his single "Fell In Love" featuring Anthony Hamilton which was one of our picks of the year. In March last year a music video was produced for the song which coincided with the release of the Remix of it. We haven't posted the video before, so will take this opportunity to remind you how good it is or if you haven't heard it, introduce you to it.

He released his debut album "My Journey Continues" last April from which two singles were pre-released. His first new material since then is the single "Only If" released yesterday.

LeVelle spent may years as a background vocalist for the likes of Anthony Hamilton and Charlie Wilson and decided to step into the spotlight himself. Just before the Covid pandemic in 2020 he was touring with Frankie Beverly & Maze.

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Details

Rating:	7.8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Sono Recording Group
Cat No:	None
Date:	17/03/2023
Key/BPM:	5A/69
Price:	£1

Randy Crawford [2023] - You Might Need Somebody: The Warner Bros Recordings (1976-1993) [SoulMusic Records #QSMCR5208T]

A month ago David Nathan's SoulMusic label released an 85 track compilation of Dionne Warwick's Warner Brothers albums "Sure Thing: The Warner Bros Recordings 1972-77" which appeared digitally on Spotify, and was posted, yesterday.

They have now released another set of Warner Brothers material from the albums of Randy Crawford which is titled "You Might Need Somebody: The Warner Bros Recordings (1976-1993)".

Unlike the Dionne Warwick set, it is not the complete albums, as she released eleven albums for the label between 1976-93, so they have cherry picked 57 tracks from them.

It's available digitally (from Amazon) and on CD from Cherry Red Records.

The tracks are spread over 3 CD's as follows:

Disc 1: RAIN

01 - Desperado

02 - I Stand Accused

03 - Same Old Story (Same Old Song)

04 - Take it Away from Her (Put it On Me)

05 - Single Woman, Married Man

06 - Rainy Night in Georgia

07 - Tender Falls the Rain

08 - Cigarette in the Rain

09 - I Got Myself a Happy Song

10 - Randy Crawford & World Jazz Association All Star Band: Gonna Give Lovin’ a Try (Live)

11 - Nobody

12 - Lift Me Up

13 - Bottom Line

14 - Don’t Come Knockin’

15 - I Let You Walk Away

16 - I Hope You’ll Be Very Unhappy Without Me

17 - Ain’t No Foolin’

18 - When Your Life Was Low

19 - Everything Must Change (Live)

20 - One Day I’ll Fly Away

Disc 2: ROMANCE

01 - Time for Love

02 - I’m Glad There is You

03 - I’m Under the Influence of You

04 - Al Jarreau and Randy Crawford: Your Precious Love (Live)

05 - Endlessly

06 - Windsong

07 - Secret Combination

08 - Wrap-U-Up

09 - This Ole Heart of Mine

10 - We Had a Love So Strong

11 - A Lot That You Can Do

12 - Now We May Begin

13 - Someone to Believe In

14 - At Last

15 - Almaz

16 - Only Your Love Song Lasts

17 - Rio de Janeiro Blue

18 - Randy Crawford with Yellowjackets: Imagine (Live)

19 - All it Takes is Love

Disc 3: RAZZAMAJAZZ

01 - Don’t Wanna Be Normal

02 - Blue Flame

03 - Street Life (edit)

04 - Last Night at Danceland

05 - Who’s Crying Now

06 - Al Jarreau and Randy Crawford: Who’s Right, Who’s Wrong (Live)

07 - Rich and Poor

08 - In Real Life

09 - Go On and Live it Up

10 - Nightline

11 - Give Peace a Chance

12 - Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

13 - Why

14 - You Might Need Somebody

15 - He Reminds Me

16 - Higher Than Anyone Can Count

17 - One Hello

18 - Just a Touch

Details

Rating:	-
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Classic Soul / Reissue
Format:	Album / Compilation
Media:	Digital / CD x 3
Label:	SoulMusic Records
Cat No:	QSMCR5208T
Date:	17/03/2023
Price:	£16.99 / £23.99

Usher [2023] - GLU [gamma.]

It may seem like sacrilege to many, but I have never really 'got' Usher's music, perhaps as a lot of his material is Pop/R&B/Hip-hop. However, his new single, "GLU", released yesterday (17 Mar '23) is pretty good with a throwback, yet also contemporary, feel but sexually explicit lyrics (the lyric video included below if you need it spelt out!) so doubt that it will receive much, if any, radio airplay. It's his first new solo material since "Bad Habits" in 2020.

One of the song's writers is Bobby Ross Avila who won a Grammy for his contribution to Chaka Khan's "Funk This" in 2007.

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	Y
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	gamma.
Cat No:	None
Date:	17/03/2023
Key/BPM:	6A/99
Price:	£1

La Shana Latrice [2023] - Don't Cheat Yourself [Self Released] (Full Album)

La Shana Latrice is from Birmingham (UK) who, after studying music at college, commenced a successful career in modelling. She released her first single "Girls Need Love" in 2019.

With the release or her sophomore album, "Don't Cheat Yourself" on 14 Mar '23, she now has two albums and around ten singles to her name. Two singles have feature here previously "Say No More" (Jul '22) preceded by "Let It Flow" (Jan '22) (which has a Sade feel about it), neither of which appear on the new album.

It's quite an R&B / future soul oriented album with the two standouts for this listener being "Enough" and "Again'".

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Details

Rating:	7.8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul / R&B
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	14/03/2023
Price:	£7.99

Mac Ayres [2023] - Comfortable Enough [Dixon Court Records] (Full Album)

Mac Ayres released his fourth album "Comfortable Enough" yesterday (17 Mar '23) which follows 'Magic 8Ball' from Jan 2021.

Maclean Daniel Ayers is a blue-eyed soul artist from New York who debuted in 2017 with an EP called 'Drive Slow', which he dropped out of Berklee College of Music to complete.

His last appearance here was with the superb single "Smoke" almost two years ago now in May '21. That single isn't included on the album, only his last one "Again" (3 Mar '23), so all material apart from that song is new.

It's a lengthy album containing 16 mellow tracks with a full hour's running time, so will need a few listens to fully digest, but the standouts on first skim through include "To Be", and the title track "Comfortable Enough".

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Details

Rating:	8.2
Explicit:	Y Track 4
Genre/Style:	New Soul / Blue-Eyed
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	Dixon Court Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	17/03/2023
Price:	£9.99