Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
After a pair of essentially modern-styled R&B outings, the Brooklyn-born, Europe-based vocalist Nicole Willis struck out in a new direction on her third full-length, teaming up with Finnish funk combo the Soul Investigators in 2005 for a hearty take on '60s and '70s stylings which, by accident or design, fit right in with the vintage soul resurgence that was then getting underway. Relative to other diva-led throwback acts such as Sharon Jones and Amy Winehouse, Willis and her cohorts come off as especially convincing revivalists (or especially deceptive simulators), despite seeming comparably laid-back about taking an authentically "retro" approach, or at least about sticking to one particular type of soul. Stylistically, they trend toward the more polished, pop-oriented Northern Soul end of things, occasionally using strings in place of horns and generally keeping things up and peppy, on stomping highlights like "If This Ain't Love," "Invisible Man" (which features girl group-styled falsetto backups sung by noted dance producers Maurice Fulton and Jimi Tenor, who's also Willis' husband) and "My Four Leaf Clover," which nods specifically and delightfully to early Motown and to Martha & the Vandellas in particular. Opener "Feeling Free," which boasts the album's most uplifting and irresistible chorus hook, sports a similarly chunky early-'60s backbeat wrapped in a lavish arrangement of strings, bongos, and palm-muted guitar that suggests more of an early-'70s, Philly International vibe, whereas the slightly groovier "A Perfect Kind of Love" lays on the Stax-style horn parts and chicken shack organ. The detours into harder-headed funk ("Holdin' On" and the title track) and smoky balladry ("Blues Downtown" and "No One's Gonna Love You") are somewhat less effective: despite some compelling and atmospheric playing from the Investigators, Willis' voice isn't quite richly textured enough to be as effortlessly authoritative here as it is on the more melodic, poppier material. Still, these tracks are far from serious missteps, and they do add some well-intentioned variety to an album that, on the whole, stands as one of the finer soul full-lengths of the decade.
© K. Ross Hoffman /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From £10.83/month
Jimi Tenor, Composer - Nicole Willis, Composer, Lyricist, MainArtist - Pekka Kuusisto, Composer - Universal Music Publishing, MusicPublisher - The Soul Investigators, MainArtist - Jukka Sarapaa, Composer - Sami Kantelinen, Composer - Petri Toikkanen, Composer - Antti Maattanen, Composer - Didier Selin, Composer
2005 Timmion Records Ltd 2005 Timmion Records Ltd
Jimi Tenor, Composer, Arranger - Nicole Willis, Composer, Lyricist, MainArtist - Eero Savela, Arranger - Erno Haukkala, Arranger - Universal Music Publishing, MusicPublisher - The Soul Investigators, MainArtist - Jukka Sarapaa, Composer - Petri Toikkanen, Composer - Antti Maattanen, Composer - Didier Selin, Composer - Antti Lauronen, Arranger - Lasse Tolvanen, Arranger
2005 Timmion Records Ltd 2005 Timmion Records Ltd
Nicole Willis, Composer, Lyricist, MainArtist - Eero Savela, Arranger - Erno Haukkala, Arranger - Universal Music Publishing, MusicPublisher - The Soul Investigators, MainArtist - Jukka Sarapaa, Composer - Petri Toikkanen, Composer - Didier Selin, Composer - Antti Lauronen, Arranger - Lasse Tolvanen, Arranger
2005 Timmion Records Ltd 2005 Timmion Records Ltd
Nicole Willis, Composer, Lyricist, MainArtist - Eero Savela, Composer - Erno Haukkala, Composer - Universal Music Publishing, MusicPublisher - The Soul Investigators, MainArtist - Jukka Sarapaa, Composer - Sami Kantelinen, Composer - Petri Toikkanen, Composer - Antti Maattanen, Composer - Didier Selin, Composer - Antti Lauronen, Composer - Lasse Tolvanen, Composer
2005 Timmion Records Ltd 2005 Timmion Records Ltd
Jimi Tenor, Composer, Arranger - Nicole Willis, Composer, Lyricist, MainArtist - Eero Savela, Arranger - Erno Haukkala, Arranger - Universal Music Publishing, MusicPublisher - The Soul Investigators, MainArtist - Jukka Sarapaa, Composer - Sami Kantelinen, Composer - Antti Maattanen, Composer - Didier Selin, Composer - Antti Lauronen, Arranger - Lasse Tolvanen, Arranger
2005 Timmion Records Ltd 2005 Timmion Records Ltd
Nicole Willis, Composer, Lyricist, MainArtist - Eero Savela, Arranger - Erno Haukkala, Arranger - Universal Music Publishing, MusicPublisher - The Soul Investigators, MainArtist - Jukka Sarapaa, Composer - Sami Kantelinen, Composer - Petri Toikkanen, Composer - Antti Maattanen, Composer - Didier Selin, Composer - Antti Lauronen, Arranger - Lasse Tolvanen, Arranger
2005 Timmion Records Ltd 2005 Timmion Records Ltd
Jimi Tenor, Composer - Maurice Fulton, Composer - Nicole Willis, Composer, Lyricist, MainArtist - Universal Music Publishing, MusicPublisher - The Soul Investigators, MainArtist
2005 Timmion Records Ltd 2005 Timmion Records Ltd
Jimi Tenor, Arranger - Nicole Willis, Composer, Lyricist, MainArtist - Eero Savela, Arranger - Erno Haukkala, Arranger - Universal Music Publishing, MusicPublisher - The Soul Investigators, MainArtist - Jukka Sarapaa, Composer - Petri Toikkanen, Composer - Antti Maattanen, Composer - Didier Selin, Composer - Antti Lauronen, Arranger - Lasse Tolvanen, Arranger
2005 Timmion Records Ltd 2005 Timmion Records Ltd
Nicole Willis, Composer, Lyricist, MainArtist - Eero Savela, Arranger - Erno Haukkala, Arranger - Universal Music Publishing, MusicPublisher - The Soul Investigators, MainArtist - Jukka Sarapaa, Composer - Sami Kantelinen, Composer - Petri Toikkanen, Composer - Antti Maattanen, Composer - Didier Selin, Composer - Antti Lauronen, Arranger - Lasse Tolvanen, Arranger
2005 Timmion Records Ltd 2005 Timmion Records Ltd
Nicole Willis, MainArtist - Universal Music Publishing, MusicPublisher - The Soul Investigators, MainArtist - Jukka Sarapaa, Composer - Petri Toikkanen, Composer - Antti Maattanen, Composer - Didier Selin, Composer
2005 Timmion Records Ltd 2005 Timmion Records Ltd
Album review
After a pair of essentially modern-styled R&B outings, the Brooklyn-born, Europe-based vocalist Nicole Willis struck out in a new direction on her third full-length, teaming up with Finnish funk combo the Soul Investigators in 2005 for a hearty take on '60s and '70s stylings which, by accident or design, fit right in with the vintage soul resurgence that was then getting underway. Relative to other diva-led throwback acts such as Sharon Jones and Amy Winehouse, Willis and her cohorts come off as especially convincing revivalists (or especially deceptive simulators), despite seeming comparably laid-back about taking an authentically "retro" approach, or at least about sticking to one particular type of soul. Stylistically, they trend toward the more polished, pop-oriented Northern Soul end of things, occasionally using strings in place of horns and generally keeping things up and peppy, on stomping highlights like "If This Ain't Love," "Invisible Man" (which features girl group-styled falsetto backups sung by noted dance producers Maurice Fulton and Jimi Tenor, who's also Willis' husband) and "My Four Leaf Clover," which nods specifically and delightfully to early Motown and to Martha & the Vandellas in particular. Opener "Feeling Free," which boasts the album's most uplifting and irresistible chorus hook, sports a similarly chunky early-'60s backbeat wrapped in a lavish arrangement of strings, bongos, and palm-muted guitar that suggests more of an early-'70s, Philly International vibe, whereas the slightly groovier "A Perfect Kind of Love" lays on the Stax-style horn parts and chicken shack organ. The detours into harder-headed funk ("Holdin' On" and the title track) and smoky balladry ("Blues Downtown" and "No One's Gonna Love You") are somewhat less effective: despite some compelling and atmospheric playing from the Investigators, Willis' voice isn't quite richly textured enough to be as effortlessly authoritative here as it is on the more melodic, poppier material. Still, these tracks are far from serious missteps, and they do add some well-intentioned variety to an album that, on the whole, stands as one of the finer soul full-lengths of the decade.
© K. Ross Hoffman /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 10 track(s)
- Total length: 00:38:00
- Main artists: Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators The Soul Investigators
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Timmion Records
- Genre: Soul/Funk/R&B Soul
2005 Timmion Records Ltd 2005 Timmion Records Ltd
Improve album information
Why buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.