We all have our preferences when it comes to musical genres, and plugged-in blues is generally not one of mine.
But every now and again I hear an artist who cooks so good I want to eat whatever they’re feeding me, and Angelique Francis’ new album is platter for the ages.
Not Defeated is a badass contemporary blues record that pays homage to classic soul, gospel, funk and southern roots.
It’s ambitious, adventurous and flawlessly executed, a testament to the seemingly unstoppable talent of its creator, who is still less than a decade into her recording career with one Juno already in the bag.
It opens with “Sugarcane Jukejoint,” a sultry-as-all-get-out, half-spoken track backed by bar-room ambiance
“Hey baby, come on over here; sit your sweet self down,” Angelique purrs at the start.
“There’s so many things I wanna say to you right now.”
That’s followed by the album’s standout track, for my money, “Escape,” a soaring, soulful, spiritually-uplifting number with gospel-chorus-style backing vocals about standing strong in the face of our fears and being the masters of our own lives.
Alligator recording artist Christone “Kingfish” Ingram guests on the track pouring emotion into guitar riffs like blues music’s answer to David Gilmour.
From there, we move on to “Watch Me Grow” a minimalist track carried along by a chorus of hums, some jazzy horns and some spoken word prose.
And along we go through a 15-course feast that is anything but one-note.
Buttery vocals, groovy brass and blistering electric guitar on the title track.
Quasi-a cappella harmonies on the percussive, old-timey “When the Heart,” whose sound hints at the links between southern roots and Celtic music.
Paired-down Delta bluesy guitars on “That Gun,” about familial cycles of violence.
And it’s all broken up by a sassy little interlude called “None Tonight,” which uses effects to mimic the sound of an old AM radio and is about – well, take a guess.
Empowerment is the theme of this record, as the title suggests, and women in particular are the focus.
We couldn’t possibly have a better role model than Angelique, who attacks these performances with the swagger of a woman who knows what she’s worth.
I pity anyone who has to compete with her for a Juno. If she keeps this up, “Not Defeated” won’t just be an album title.
It’ll be a prophecy.
