Following his acclaimed 2023 debut Come Around And Love Me, the American UK-based impressive soul singer’s second LP is another classy collection of beautifully uplifting, sublime Northern soul and Motown-era love songs. Ngonda’s falsetto and vocal control really and whole sound is a musical time machine, with echoes of Smokey Robinson to Al Green to Marvin Gaye, backed by warm retro arrangements - taut, snare-resonant drums and distinct bass lines, romantic piano, crisp guitar chops and 70s polished orchestration. Opener Anyone In Love wonderfully captures that sense of love is never forever, but also never quite over: “Oh, anyone in love / Fears the past is complete / No sign of repeating its joy / Anyone in love / Feels each mеmory, each touch / But still ain't enough.” Doctrine of Love, opens that classic bell sound and toe-tapping optimistic energy. Mr Train Conductor has that 70s syncopated Gaye soul magic with evocative era wah-wah pedal: “Hey, mister train conductor / Can you get me to my baby's arms again?” Burning Temptation feels like a Northern Soul classic with backing vocals and passion: “So, when weakness gets ahold, what (Can you do?) / And each day you're getting old, what (Can you do?) / And you realize you're half the guy (Ah-ah-ah-ah) / But twice the fire.” And so it continues, with slower simmering, heartbreak numbers in Love Is Gone and I Can’t Ever Leave You after these first four, Good Good Love harking back to a swooning 50s sound, Hang It On The Shelf hitting a 70s funk groove, and closer Taken Out Of the Picture completing a flawless set of 10 songs that could have been recorded more than 50 years ago in timeless quality of production, arrangement and performance. Wonderful. Out on Daptone Records.
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