There’s no comparing modern music to music of the past. This is an oft contested topic, but even on the base levels of music production quality and the types of instruments and production equipment available, it’s almost impossible to say that the music of today is worse off or far superior to the music that came before. Sure, there’s the idea that nostalgia can blind folks, and there’s the concept of recency bias clashing up against the idea of diminishing returns when things lose their shine the more often you listen to it, but for the most part, in art, there’s no real answer. You simply can’t compare music from today to anything pre-21st century due to the mass increases in technology, most notably with the rise of a little thing you’re using right now to read this on (hint: it’s the Internet.)
For music acts to rise and pay tribute to genres that were influential and held a major grasp on widespread popular audiences of yesteryear, the concept of balancing modern instruments and sensibilities with retro song production or composition can often clash and lead to hollow products made with good intentions. A recent example of such hollowness can be had in rock group Greta Van Fleet; one doesn’t need to search very far to see comments comparing them to a less genuine, more modern take on Led Zeppelin. The homage might have been well-intentioned at the start, but the balancing act can be unforgiving.
WEBSITE: https://www.soulfulfemme.com/
For Soulful Femme, the balancing act is something that has been seemingly perfected in the process of performing live shows before ever getting into the studio. A classic approach to music that is seemingly used less and less these days, the methodic angle of perfecting a live sound before giving it to the masses via their headphones is one brilliant way to make sure your music will come out feeling as lived-in and as organic as possible. Formed by Stevee Wellons and Cheryl Rinovato out of their mutual admiration and respect for the blues, the band coming out initially and most importantly as a labor of love is extremely evident. The devotion to the craft and the music itself as opposed to wanting to revel in a supposed “rockstar lifestyle” goes a lot further than one might suppose, and the music directly succeeds as a result.
The first official outing from Soulful Femme as a fully-established, serious piece of music history comes in the form of It Is Well With My Soul, their debut album. The fact that the band has functioned for so long without any official music to sell or release to fans is pretty impressive, but touring is what keeps the lights on so the actual statistics check out, in a way. This live sensibility comes through crystal clear on their songs like “Born To Blues” and “Fearless One.” Living the tour/live performance lifestyle before getting into the studio goes a long way and acts almost as its own instrument within the aesthetic of the album. Listeners will instantly realize that Soulful Femme is a band that demands to be seen live and doesn’t care for your comparisons to anything that came before. Soulful Femme is the real deal, miss out at your own risk.
Patrick Orr, posted by Jodi Marxbury