If – for whatever reason – you’ve lost faith in British Soul, then I urge you to go out & grab ‘Forget Me Not’. In a genre still grappling with a Winehouse-shaped hole, our very own princess of Soul HARLEIGHBLU is shaping up to be its next poster girl. And with national radio support and mainstream broadsheet coverage, there’s no reason she can’t go all the way to take the crown as Queen Bee.
‘Forget Me Not’ is a glorious listen; 11 tracks that mark a triumphant return to vintage Soul. Though only 21, HARLEIGHBLU has mastered the knack of writing songs that sound decades old, brought bang up to date with a modern, almost Hip-Hop twist.The opening tracks are packed with jazzy grooves and slurred vocals, smokey sweet in their delivery which – if you close your eyes – could fool you into believing you’re listening to a contemporary of Billie & Nina. ‘Play Me’, the debut single from the album, is a delicious slice of urban Soul that could have been lifted straight from ‘Frank’ whilst ‘Love of my Life’ – a personal highlight – is mellower in approach, shimmering beautifully amongst a sea of piano and hazy vocals. ‘This Way’ and ‘Sittin’ By the Window’ offer bold breakaways, harnessing a grittier side which compliments the album’s natural edge before final track ‘Love Like This’ closes the album on a tumultuous, string-backed, scatt-inspired high.
As an album, it’s a triumph. As a debut, it’s an outstanding achievement and titillating taste of what HARLEIGHBLU is capable of. In the album notes, she hopes this is an album ‘Nottingham can be proud of’. It is.
‘Forget Me Not’ is out Monday 14th October on Tru Thoughts Records. You can get a copy in town from Fopp or HMV (the two local stores that have confirmed they are selling it) or order on iTunes HERE.
Yours in Love of New Music,
Maddie Hammond. X
