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Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings 100 Days, 100 Nights Released in 2007 9.1/10 Styles Folk-rock Song Highlights Nobody's Baby Let Them Knock Answer Me |
100 Days, 100 Nights is the third album by soul-revival outfit Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. In 2005 they delivered the great Naturally, which consisted mostly of soft-soul and mid-tempo numbers. This time around they've upped the attitude with an album that is more often upbeat, funky and sassy. It's a big claim to make in this current age of recycling musical trends of years past, but over the course of three albums this group have proven to be the most convincing and authentic retro-retread I've ever heard - and I'm talking about any genre, here. The Dap Kings are an exceptionally talented and cohesive collective of musicians, displaying great control, humour, emotion and exhuberance on every track. They've even had a boost to their star power cachet recently, being given a stint as Amy Winehouse's touring band. There can be no doubt, though, that Jones herself, at the impressive age of 51, is the star of the show. Her vocals are run through a spectacular workout, showcasing everything from husky, growling turns for the dancefloor burners to a smooth, tender delivery for the softer numbers, and her voice has a depth and edge to it that can only come with undeniable experience and maturity. All the elements combine to create an astonishing musical time-portal - this really is the sort of album you can play to someone who's none the wiser, and they'll think it was made in the late sixties. While I really loved Naturally, I found myself yearning a few times for the band to amp the songs up a bit and play something really danceable a bit more often. In that respect, 100 Days, 100 Nights has been a really great experience. The balance has been tilted more in favour of the floor-shakers, and over half of the album's 10 tracks are the sort of funky, addictive tunes you can really move to. The album's title track (and opener) flows along with mid-tempo percussion, groovy basslines and intermittent bursts of saxophone, while "Tell Me", "Be Easy", "Keep on Looking" and the brilliant "Nobody's Baby" drive along with catchy melodies and fun lyrics. The few slower, remaining pieces are terrific as well, though - "Humble Me" is sultry and smooth, full of lengthy, drawn out notes and romantic, slow-dance moments, while "Answer Me", which closes the album, is a traditional sounding gospel number that shows off Jones' incredible vocal range. There's also pieces like "When the Other Foot Drops, Uncle" and "Something's Changed" that ride the line between these two aesthetics very nicely. One of the great things about the group's past efforts was their loveable sense of humour, and 100 Days, 100 Nights contains yet another generous dose, ranging from gleeful moments of funky attitude (the laughs and grunts she throws out at the start of "Nobody's Baby" sounds like the diss to end all disses) to story-songs with chuckle-inducing lyrical content. For a great example of the latter, you need look no further than "Let Them Knock", which sees Jones refusing to answer the people knocking at her door because she's... well, I'll let the lyrics speak for themselves: "Let them knock up on my door / until they hands are black and blue / I'm not answering for no one / until my man and I are through". So there you have it - the queen of soulful attitude and the kings of funky musical stylings, teaming up to deliver another slice of retro perfection. When it comes to recreating this particular musical era, sonically and beyond, while stamping it with their own unique flavour, no one is as good as Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. 100 Days, 100 Nights is a very well written, immensely fun album, and I quite simply don't see how anyone couldn't love it. Consider it very highly recommended, and if you like it be sure to check out the first couple of albums too. |