Charity Ward is a Detroit soul songstress that you need to have on your radar.
Her new EP, Yellow is full of retro, feelgood funky soul with four songs sparkling out from the speakers with an effortless yet accomplished ease.
My personal highlight,”Pretty” has the funky 70s backbone of Songs in the Key of Life era Stevie Wonder but topped with cascading soulful vocals in the style of Alicia Keys or Joss Stone. This stands out alongside the modern, overproduced pomp of other uptown funkers as the spotlight is on the musicianship here. This strikes a perfect balance allowing Charity’s vocals to breathe and shine, and they simmer with a singalong irresistablity.
Opener, “Beautiful Moments” is the most blatantly pop song on the EP while closer “Undescribable” allows her to show that she can capably deliver a ballad. Her smooth vocals become slightly more powerful when coupled with a stripped back piano-led accompaniment.
There is a timeless feel to the release and a nice reminder that soul is about mood rather than overproduced polish. It is released 18 September…
Charity on the web:
Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud
