Soulful singing and retro-production reminiscent of ‘Dusty In Memphis’.
Having set out to make “a record that sounds like a girl from Memphis, because that’s who I am”, Kelley Mickwee’s ‘Everything Beautiful’ has a wonderful retro-soul feel. Growing up in a city with such a distinguished musical pedigree, she was inevitably aware of Dusty Springfield’s 1969 album ‘Dusty In Memphis’ and she certainly had this in mind in her early discussions with producer David Boyle.
It’s surprising then to learn that the album was recorded over in Austin, Texas, the state Mickwee has called home for over twenty years and where she has been a leading figure in the roots music scene. A host for several years on Austin’s Sun Radio, she toured for five years with The Trishas and prior to lockdown was a member of the highly successful band Shinyribs. Guesting on recordings by the likes of Ray Wylie Hubbard and Charley Crockett added another string to her bow but eventually the time came for Mickwee to realise her ambition to make another album, some ten years since her first.
All bar one of the nine titles were written or co-written by the artist, who resisted the temptation to go in a country direction, so determined was she to make a soul record. With this aim, several of the musicians put together for the recording at Austin’s Church House Studios had worked with the likes of Gary Clark Jr, John Mayer, Black Pumas and the Tedeschi Trucks Band. Speaking of which, Mickwee’s gospel-soaked voice reminds one of Susan Tedeschi and the two Bonnies, Bramlett and Raitt, while the singers Alice Spencer, Tony Kamel, Bruce Hughes and Courtney Patton make up the kind of background vocal choir heard on so many classic soul tracks. Surprisingly there’s no horn section but Boyle’s rich Hammond organ and the Steve Cropper-like licks and solos from the guitar of David Jimenez create the perfect ambience for all the vocalists.
Mickwee and Boyle have certainly achieved the sound they wanted and beyond the superb production it’s the quality of the songs themselves that make this such a fine record. The aptly titled opener ‘Joyful’ is an ebullient southern Baptist kind of song while ‘About Time’ (by steel guitarist Colin Brooks) and ‘Verge of Tears’ are carefully crafted ballads, the latter with all the polish and drama of Hall & Oates’ ‘She’s Gone’.
The longes track on the album is ‘You Lie’ in which Mickwee pours out her heart, a song written at her kitchen table and delivered with immense passion. Lead single ‘Force of Nature’ builds to a rousing coda with the backing singers given full rein to demonstrate their talents.
‘Long Goodbye’ and ‘Comes Out Wrong’ both date from a few years back but blend perfectly with the overall sound, while ‘Let’s Run Away’ stands a little apart, having something of a John Mayer rhythm and blues feel, perhaps not surprising with drummer JJ Johnson having played with the celebrated singer/guitarist.
The gorgeous title track that closes the album is understandably Mickwee’s favourite. She’d written the words on her back porch as a poem before Seth Walker set them to a moving melody that her vocal does full justice to. A record that would be best listened to in suitably vintage formats, ‘Everything Beautiful’ certainly lives up to its title.
