I Learned the Hard Way
Artist: Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings
Label: Daptone
Website: sharonjonesandthedapkings.com
Shake up your routine with a little SJ & the Dap-Kings
It is easy to dismiss Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings as a retro-novelty act and place them into a box and leave it for what it is. It is also easy to dismiss their music and say its better just because it is so different from the now. What may not be as easy, is admitting to all you indie friends that you really dig Sharon Jones and convincing them they will love her too.
Her voice is like a strong siren, her Dap-Kings are great musicians and their music is not retro - it is timeless. It is an understatement to talk about the "soul" in I Learned the Hard Way, as it basically pours over the top but what makes this record really snap is the swirling jazzy backdrops, the complex horn arrangements and of course Jones' forceful and directing vocals that move up, down and around through the entire record.
The album was produced by Bosco Mann and recorded on an eight-track tape machine, which completes Sharon Jones vibe and just highlights that she is truly authentic to the soul of yesteryear but completely committed to making this style current again.
With her vocal chops and the Dap-Kings musical talents, I Learned the Hard Way will have you believing they can do it too.
Michael Reece
For more of Michael Reece's music reviews, check out The Fire Note