to listen or purchase
A soul/R&B artist whose album is total live music instrumentation is fast becoming a thing of the past. All too often, we hear passionate vocals over beats and sample loops, with a live organic keyboard thrown in for good measure. It passes for soul music, I guess. Personally, I call this type of soul music facsimile soul, because although it looks and sounds like the real thing, it’s not the real thing, if you follow. However, that isn’t the case for Stacye Branche.
A soul/R&B artist whose album is total live music instrumentation is fast becoming a thing of the past. All too often, we hear passionate vocals over beats and sample loops, with a live organic keyboard thrown in for good measure. It passes for soul music, I guess. Personally, I call this type of soul music facsimile soul, because although it looks and sounds like the real thing, it’s not the real thing, if you follow. However, that isn’t the case for Stacye Branche.
The Los Angeles native is a veteran in the music industry, having signed her first record deal at 18 years old. Stacye has seen the music landscape change over the years, but she defiantly maintains her old school production standards when it comes to creating her projects. Stacye’s latest CD, The Evolution to Living in Truth, Deluxe Edition, represents what soul music is and should always be: an artist and her music sound unified as one flowing, ebbing emotive voice. . The Evolution to Living in Truth is soul, tempered by a strong 80’s contemporary jazz influence. Stacye added instrumental hints of classic R&B that fall in line with artists from the 80’s such as Anita Baker and Sade; artists that have blended the three genres to create their own distinct sounds. Stacye not only produced the album, but she also wrote every song on the project, giving it a personal touch lyrically and musically, something that is often missing in today’s mainstream artists.
Vocally, Stacye oozes a sensuality that’s sultry as well as sexy. With her sensuous coos and sultry melody, she gives The Evolution of Living in Truth a class and sex appeal that’s reserved for elegant ladies…drama loving divas need not apply. There are few things in music more beautiful than an adult woman who isn’t afraid to show her vulnerable side, and Stacye does on “When Did You Know?” a song about heartbreak. The deluxe edition also provides five bonus tracks, most of which are covers of standard classic hits. On “Pillow Talk,”a song originally performed by Sylvia, Stacye shows you the sexy, seductive side in a jazzy soul package.
The Evolution is Stacye’s life journey, and she makes a point to let you know it’s not where you begin with love, but where you end in your amorous travels. The discebbs and flows with the musical and lyrical experiences Stacye Branche expresses. The songs on the album switch from soulful ballads to mid-tempo contemporary jazz to a classic R&B soul style that Minnie Ripperton would be proud of. Stacye Branche captured lightning in a bottle, and The Evolution to Living in Truth, Deluxe Edition is the proof. Highly Recommended.
By Gabriel Rich