MUSIC REVIEWS
Leela James - A Change is Gonna Come
David Allun Jones
Leela James debut single “Music” quickly pastes her in the neo-soul clich of incense and head-wraps. Over a soulful bluesy backdrop she cleverly tags “back porch soul” she predictably criticizes today’s brand of popular music for lacking the rib-sticking sounds she grew up on. It’s a predictable route that’s becomes an all-too-familiar road for too many artists. While their efforts to resort to real instruments and embody the sounds of long ago can be appreciated, it’s very rare that they are able to escape the shadows of the people that inspire them and their albums usually end up being one long mass of yawning ballads that lack much punch. This pint-sized husky-voiced soul singer barely misses out on the clich, though, thanks to gospel conviction and a daring duet of remakes..
Overlooking the triteness of “Music”, it’s clear that James excels at passionately displaying her own honest emotions. She’s the kind of singer you could see breaking down in tears at the loss of an old love or overwhelming adoration for a Higher Power. Both themes are touched here and the sheer believability of her vocals keep the songs from banality. Still the lover-done-did-me-wrong set up does get a little tiresome, and depressing, after awhile (especially if you’re still happily in love) and though she can sing to these issues coming straight from the heart, the need for more of a balance of uplifting material is heavily begged for. The feel good “Good Times” welcomes a weekend of parties over a groove you could vacuum the floor to but it’s a rare glimpse of happiness found in an album mired in gloominess.
Production heavyweights like Kanye West, Wyclef Jean and Raphael Saadiq all make contributions here and give enough of their own signature stamp to still allow Leela to make their songs her own. It keeps the album consistent in it’s organic, nostalgic vibe and if you were to single out most of the material on it’s own you’d have grand, if not entirely original, examples of prime soul. What really ends up carrying the album, though, are the two aforementioned covers: a faithful rendition of the Sam Cooke standard “A Change Is Gonna Come” and a smoky reworking of the No Doubt favorite “Don’t Speak” to which James adds a hip hop-soul spin that rivals The Fugees’ “Killing Me Softly” remake in giddy bewilderment.
If the words of “Music” spoke to you, then you will most likely enjoy the rest of Leela’s soul-stirring debut, A Change Is Gonna Come. For the rest it’s nothing special enough to spend money on; if need be, download “Good Times” and “Don’t Speak” and continue to wait until that next neo-soul sensation trying to bring back “real” music drops with something a little more stronger and less predictable.
