*When was the last time you dove into anyone’s new collection of so-called Soul Music that started you out in one mood and faithfully kept you there for over an hour of blessed uninterrupted aural off-the-planet-ism? I mean some sounds that had you feeling like a prime cut marinating in a masterfully burnished and herbed wine sauce? Paulette McWilliams‘ These Are The Sweet Things is just such a delicacy for the Soul-starved palate.
Soul connoisseurs already well know that Paulette McWilliams was the original singer of Rufus, a discovery of Quincy Jones, and a key background girl for Luther Vandross, a master who selected his singers with serious scrutiny.
In her own right, Paulette has released albums in a jazz vein and in classic pop-rock strains. But her current album, These Are The Sweet Things, is the female vocal Soul album the likes of which you never thought you’d hear again…like the days of Vesta, Miki, Niecy, Brenda, `Angela, and them.
It is an invitingly relaxed grown folks set that is musically uncluttered and lyrically soul-stirring, enveloping rapt listeners in a mellow seductive mood and sustaining that groove without ever growing wearisome across 13 first-class songs. Thirteen. All co-composed and co-produced by McWilliams and multi-instrumentalist Ivan Hampden (also an esteemed Vandross backing musician as a drummer). And all punch drunk in Paulette’s full dynamic range of quadrophonic lead and background surround sound.
The album opens with the timeless romantic attention grabber “Tell Me You Love Me,” featuring saxophone solos by Dave Jones. With any justice, this will become an Urban AC insta-classic. Then there is the sexy seduction swing of “Take a Drink of Me,” the title track “These Are The Sweet Things” dripping in the guitars of Phil Hamilton (and Paulette ruthlessly slaying the highs and lows of her range), and the thoughtful universal love plea “Share.”
Other highlights include “New Tunes, Old Grooves,” a sweet nostalgia piece featuring Paulette with singers Pam Groves and Philip Groves plus Nat Adderley Jr. on keys, the slinky jazzy ooo-wee of “Baby Think Again” (Paulette puttin’ a playa in check), the dreamy “Love is Why,” the sassy blues rock spank of “Sometimes Your Eyes,” the lowdown funk of “Teddy’s Got a Plan” (one for the girls on which Paulette tells `em all about a guy coming for her hard and correct) followed by the most apropos “What I Wanna Do” (as in ‘be all over you’).
These Are The Sweet Things rounds out with the digital cool creep of “Stop & Listen,” the swampy, hoodoo kiss-off ‘That’s Who I Am,” and the Sly Stone vibration of the finale, “I Feel Ya.”
Paulette McWilliams’ These Are The Sweet Things deserves a spot front and center in the collection of anyone in need of a soulful love-filled musical massage.
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