Brooklyn-born Nicole Willis has collaborated with Curtis Mayfield and members of the Brand New Heavies, recorded for Mo’ Wax with the group Repercussions and sung in the band that became Dee-Lite. It’s with Finnish funky soul collective The Soul Investigators, though, that she has realised her true potential. Their retro stylings are authentic enough for single Feeling Free to be picked up by DJs on the rare soul scene, yet this is not a clinical pastiche of classic 60s Motown.
Willis has a passion and originality in her vocals that lend the recordings real depth, whether calling to the dancefloor over sweeping strings and wah wah guitar (Feeling Free), emoting over horn driven hard funk (Keep Reachin’ Up) or admonishing a lover on a moody organ-drenched ballad (No One’s Gonna Love You). The production by guitarist Didier Selin and drummer Jukka Sarapaa and the string arrangements by The Pekka Kuusisto Orchestra are superb, giving the album a sophisticated big city ambience that manages to retain a raw edge. These irresistible self-penned compositions deserve to cross over to a wider audience.
