Valerie June - Pushin’ Against A Stone
Artist: Valerie June
Album: Pushin’ Against A Stone
Label: Sunday Best
OUT NOW
Rating: 5/5
Valerie June grabbed everyone’s attention when she appeared on Later… With Jools Holland delivering a fantastic rendition of Workin’ Woman Blues - and now she is back with her debut album.
If you are a fan of the singles that this incredible artist has released so far then you are going to love this album as it is just class from start to finish.
Valerie June is a woman who was born to sing and this record sees her mix a whole hold of different genres and styles from country to soul as well as blues and gospel resulting in a very eclectic sounding record.
There has been no other album like this released so far this year it really is a total joy to listen to - June is someone to absolutely keep an eye on over the next couple of years.
Workin’ Woman Blues is the track that kicks off this album and it is one of the finest tracks on this record.
There is a real blues feel to this track as the opening acoustic guitar really sets the scene as to what we can expect from this song in terms of this song.
June has such a distinctive singing voice and she really does tell a story with every song and Workin’ Woman Blues really is a fine example of this.
Right at the start of this record June shows that she is not afraid to mix her sound as the second track Somebody To Love sees her move away from blues to take on a more gospel sound.
This is really stripped back track - well no song on this record is over produced - but this is one of the most bare as the power and the beauty of June’s vocal is really allowed to shine.
The Hour also has a gospel sound to it while Tennessee Time has more of a country feel to it - and country is another genre that really does fit her vocal style.
This album may be an eclectic mix of genres but all the tracks fit together and you feel you are on a real journey with this singer songwriter as the album progresses.
Pushin’ Against A Stone is one of those rare albums that don’t come along very often where ever track is a gem.
This is one of the best albums that I have heard so far this year and I can’t wait to see what this extraordinary artist does next.
Valerie June - Pushin’ Against A Stone is out now.