A striking number of young soul artists have a preference for the warm soul sound of the seventies. In that respect, the young debutante Leela James does not distinguish herself from Alicia Keys, Lauryn Hill and Angie Stone. The subtle flirts that are entered into with hip-hop rhythms are not new and will mainly have to be written on the account of the ever influential producers, in this case, among
… others, Kanye West, Wyclef Jean and Raphael Saadiq. The difference lies in the subtle differences in accent that James makes. On the one hand the vocals deeply rooted in gospel, on the other hand the striking covers of No Doubt (Don't Speak) and Sam Cooke (A Change Is Gonna Come). Especially the choice for the latter song, the masterpiece of soul pioneer Sam Cooke and also the title of her debut album, says a lot about Leela James. Because so ' One sacred song from soul history can only be grasped from a combination of naivety and unbridled ambition on your very first album. (MS)more
