The 1960s Motown sound has unquestionably made a return in the pop mainstream. Generally, this has involved a bevy of British white girls spouting tongue-in-cheek, modernized lyrics over the classic sound. With the exception of Amy Winehouse, this phenomenon became tired in no time.
Of course, Winehouse would be nothing without the Dap-Kings. The funk and soul outfit provided instrumentation for the majority of her hit album Back To Black, notably on “Rehab” and “You Know I’m No Good”. It’s a shame then that their own band–with lead vocalist Sharon Jones–receives far less attention than the troubled songstress.
The group’s fourth release, I Learned The Hard Way, combines their ol’ school sound with complimentary ol’ school lyrics. The resulting songs have a timeless feeling, as if they could have been produced during the very era they’re emulating. Even when Jones laments about the retched state of the economy on “Money”, her words are universal enough to refer to any financial crisis.
It’s unfortunately rare these days to find a musical act that combines raw vocal talent with an equally talented backing band, and Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings have mastered this equation. Now if only they could gain a well-deserved place next to Lady Gaga and Rihanna on the pop charts…
– Dewitt
sharon jones is all that AND a bag of chips!!! and the dap-kings, too! this is the greatest act that gets little coverage in the country. RUN, do not walk, to buy their cd’s!!!