Joan Armatrading is truly wonderful artist. A thoughtful and talented musician whose voice on her finest songs resonate with me in a way that few others do. But perhaps she's not enormously influential. You don't listen to many records and think, 'he or she's been listening to Joan.'
Not often but sometimes. Sunny War sounds like she's cupped her ear to a few Armatrading albums. And I don't mean that just because she's a black woman. She has Joan's lilt.
There's also a reflection here, an inner Soul in the genuine old school sense, not the debased worn out Saturday evening TV singing contest, between essentially unsoulful and untalented people. Sunny is deeply talented, and not as well known as she ought to be.
Simple Syrup, her sixth album in all, just out, is a pearl. Now esconsed in Venice Beach, California after spending time in Detroit and Nashville, Sunny War lives up to the contradiction spelt out between her given name and surname. Plenty of light and shade.
This is a record with much to offer. Chance of pace, change of mood. A deep rich voice supplemented by sparse rolling guitar embroidery and occasional strings. The kind of record you might want to put on one Sunday afternoon, stretch yourself out on the sofa and properly enjoy.
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