Noel McKoy - Brighter Day [Album]

Tri-Star

October 4, 2009, 08:48 PM

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As lead singer with the Acid Jazz James Taylor Quartet, Noel McKoy’s blues influenced vocals were caught in a groove that clearly frustrated his soul yearnings. Better by far are the later gospel duets he has done with Mica Paris and Beverley Knight. So from his third album, "Brighter Day," I was hoping for something that might blend McKoy’s jazzy soul beginnings with his accomplished soul-based gospel rasp, that is ever reminiscent of Bobby Womack. What "Brighter Day" delivers is a more funked-up soul in a latter-day 60s vibe.

"Brighter Day" is an album of two halves, the first unquestionably influenced and sounding like vintage Motown, with 'Great Big Gap' an orchestral, no-holds-barred rip off of The Four Tops’ 'I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch),' with McKoy clearly uncomfortable in an overzealous production. 'Fly Away With Me' too has an old-fashioned classic soul feel while the title song, 'Brighter Day,' sounds not dissimilar to those that appeared on the B sides of so many singles by Sam Cooke or Marvin Gaye; no mean feat but not quite the real deal.

Yet half way through this irritatingly compromised album, McKoy is allowed to demonstrate his genuine soul leanings, delivering a sure vocal range, falsetto included, worthy of any of the great soul masters. The fabulous, 'Determined Man', is a track and likely single that any soul performer would be proud of, while 'Merry Go Round' is beautifully presented and demonstrates how McKoy’s vocals can soar with sympathetic production.

The fine lyrics of 'Jealousy' are presented in a format that’s a little too Barry White for my taste, but has fine instrumentation with a Latin edge. 'Tumbling Down' is catchy and 'Shadow of a Dream' and 'Skating on Thin Ice' are very simply superb, melodic, controlled and well orchestrated. That this hugely talented singer-songwriter with one of the truly great soul voices has avoided falling into the clutches of commercial R&B is to his credit. Regretfully this potentially excellent album has a Cecil B DeMille-like production; overblown and out of date. Sadly it is a disappointment.

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