What do you get if the sound of Detroit is taken and mixed with some old fashioned blues and driven along by a funky backbeat? Answer? Laura Rain and her impressive band.
This lady sings like a powerhouse and attacks the eleven songs here with attitude and sassy confidence. With a backing band this good and a brass section that wrap the tunes in a tight grip, the rhythm is infectious. Think Etta James and Aretha Franklin, mixed with Anastasia and you are getting near the groove here.
George Friend on guitar is particularly influential and his playing is really impressive, from the slow feel of Your Love is Not Broken to the strut of Squawkin’. Keyboard player Phil Hale and guest Duncan McMillan on organ also add to the warm sound and deliver some fine ensemble playing. All the tracks are strong but the tight beat of Super Duper Love and the slow burn of He Is take some beating.
Their debut CD Electrified appeared in 2013 and is followed by this impressive collection to add further claims to a career that can only get bigger. This is Memphis soul, Chicago blues and Motown funk, all in a Detroit, Motor City vehicle that is flying up the highway. Grab a seat while you can.