Alanna Royale is a band that’s helping to push soul music into the 2010s and back into the ears of young kids today whose Apple ear buds are littered with drum beats meant for pre-gaming playlists rather than just the sole enjoyment of listening to music. Riding the wave that mainstream contemporaries Adele, Amy Winehouse, and Joss Stone, the group premieres their debut album Achilles. Lead by vocalist Alanna Quinn-Broadus, the neo-soul group re-ignites the fire under the ass of soul that once burned bright with stars like Etta James, Bobby Womack, and Isaac Hayes.
Alanna’s soaring vocals shine bright throughout the album, but shine the brightest on songs like ‘18’, ‘Go Back’, and ‘Animal’. The attitude of her voice is captured in a powerful, smokey sound that makes for that perfect jazz style. She’s great at using both sides of her vocal spectrum with a wide range of dynamics, which go from slow to sensual throughout the album. Of course a singer is only as good as he musicians that give her something to sing to. Jared Colby on guitar has really been able to tap into his ability and find those great guitar tones and strumming patterns that we all love hearing on those old funk and soul albums of the 70s. Kirk Donovan on the trumpet and Diego Vasquez on trombone add that brass that compliments rather than overpowers. The combination of all their musical assets makes for a really smooth modern sounding soul album that both appreciates the past, but pushes the genre forward to a new generation of music fans.
Article by: Tom Shackleford
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