Artist: Will Downing
Album: Pieces
Label: Sophisticated Soul
Year Of Release: 2023
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Tracklist:
01. Love on You
02. Early Years
03. Make You Mine
04. You Deserve Better
05. Dammit I Want You
06. Kinda Guy
07. What I Gotta Do
WILL DOWNING is rightly nicknamed âThe Prince of Sophisticated Soulâ but on the evidence of his brand new album/EP, this concise 7 tracker that is âPiecesâ, he could equally be called âThe King Of Consistencyâ. The album, his 26th, is a perfect definition of Willâs art â itâs sensuous, smooth, emotional and, yes, sophisticated and soulful.
We enjoyed an album taster last November when Mr. D released the lead single, a gentle mid-tempo âKinda Guyâ. It was everything weâve come to expect from our hero â smooth and suave and delivered in that rich, very special, velvety voice.
âKinda Guyâ still shines brightly. Amongst the other highlights are âYou Deserve Betterâ which features input from garlanded keyboardist Ronnie Foster and some sweet acoustic guitar from David P Stevens; âWhat I Got To Doâ which has a definite funk undertow; the dreamy âDammit I Want Youâ which has a Southern soul/Bobby Womack flavour; âMake You Mineâ which is a classic Downing ballad; âLove On Youâ which proffers clever syncopation behind the vocal; and âEarly Yearsâ which might just remind you of Barry White â no surprise⌠itâs an old Barry White song but here Will makes it his own.
If my adding up is correct that make 6 âhighlightsâ, alongside that lovely single. So there we are⌠on a 7 track album/EP there are no duds, no filler! But would we expect anything different from Will Downing? âThe Prince of Sophisticated Soulâ or The King Of Consistency⌠it makes no odds. Our man continues to deliver in his own, unique, soulful way.
