If this report is your introduction to the world of Durand Jones, you’ve picked a very electrifying one. The Louisiana-born musician is without doubt one of the twenty first century’s boldest soul personalities, his time on the forefront of Durand Jones & The Indications coinciding with – and propelling – a renaissance interval for the sound, half a century on from the scene’s heydays. The Indiana-formed band have launched three data, most notably cult favorite ‘American Love Call’, which NME known as “a great American soul record” upon launch in 2019.
But ‘Wait Til I Get Over’, a solo enterprise underneath his personal identify, could be his most interesting hour but. It was first teased to NME in 2021 as an album that chimes with the scent of “magnolias on a hot summer’s day”, a scent that he says that it reminds him of his hometown: “it has that sweetness, as well as that mustiness – there’s something beautiful there”. By house, Jones is referring to Hillaryville, Louisiana, a group based by freed slaves following the tip of the Civil War following reparations. It’s a fiercely working-class city, one which has skilled plight – the ‘80s crack epidemic – and instilled hard-worn values into its inhabitants like Jones.
As such, ‘Wait Til I Get Over’ is gritty however wonderful, too. The tenderness of his work with the Indications is considerably on maintain, and we get a rawer Jones as he particulars the Southern Black expertise. There is each harshness and color in ‘Lord Have Mercy’s propulsive riff, one which masks the tireless grind: “Can you see me in those sad smiling eyes?” he asks. ‘That Feeling’, which he says is “the only love song he’s written for another man”, turns a lo-fi opening right into a string-fuelled epic: that is sheer, uncooked energy.
It additionally bucks a latest pattern of familiar-sounding solo albums, and places clear daylight between his work with the Indications. The inspirations are so different – gospel, blues, dashes of hip-hop – that it sounds uncommon when he strays into current territory. ‘See It Through’, filled with funk flashes, may very well be a misplaced Stevie Wonder basic; ‘Letter To My 17 Year Old Self’ fearlessly veers into Thundercat-esque West Coast jazz. It’s uncommon we see an outlet like this solo report realised as well as it’s right here.
It’s a report that’ll please newcomers and current followers alike, however, given the backstory and coronary heart poured into ‘Wait Til I Get Over’, the report current for Jones looks like a triumph. Whether or not he brings these sounds or parts again to the group is but to be seen, however this report will shake the partitions of Hillaryville and past.
Details
- Release date: May 5, 2023
- Record label: Dead Oceans