2015 – Daptone Records
By Phillip Smith; May 9, 2015
If you’ve listened to the
music of Sharon Jones, you most
likely have heard Saun & Starr. Last year, I was fortunate enough to catch Jones in concert, and remember being
bowled over by the exquisite harmonies of backing vocalists, Saundra Williams and Starr Duncan- Lowe , aka Saun & Starr. They
made quite the impression then, and they make a tremendous impression now with their
stellar performances on their debut album, Look
Closer. To top it all off, the Dap-Kings perform on this new record, drizzling
their familiar funky soul on every song, in the Daptone style, and I
love it.
Title track, “Look Closer
(Can’t You See the Signs?) ushers the listener in with an up-beat
dance-friendly rhythm guided by a buttery bassline served up by Bosco Mann. When I hear the bouncy
beats and soulful vocals on “Hot Shot”, I’m immediately taken back to the early
music of the Jackson 5. I just love the way this song was written and
performed. Whereas “Another Love Like
Mine”, with is restless funk and echo-laced guitar effects, seems to draw in a
little more inspiration from the late great Isaac Hayes.
Every time I hear the
infectious grooves of “Big Wheel”, I can’t help but get a big ol’ smile on my
face. Like Jean Knight’s “Mr. Big Stuff”, this track takes a soulful approach
to calling out tricksters and scoundrels in wolves clothing. Another fun little track, “Dear Mr. Teddy”, happens
to take awkward situations to a new level. This is the kind of song that sounds
best on a rainy day. Saun & Starr close the album out
with a light-hearted ditty about communication breakdown, “Blah Blah Blah Blah
Blah Blah Blah”. I like the cool little jabs Victor Axelrod lays down on the organ and the Steve Cropper-flavored guitar riffs from Binky Griptite. This is such
a smooth song.
Look Closer
is a sheer delight. It’s the best soul
album I've heard this year.
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