The Next Movement
We at the Twelve Bar are not so insecure that we are not able to admit when we have slept on something big, and also take pride in opening up ears and minds a little bit with our Stories To Tell, literally wearing our influences on our sleeves. And an artist that I have personally slept on is another who wears her influences well, east Texas homegirl Lina. You may remember her debut on Atlantic, 2001's "Playa No More", with it's intriguing mix of 20s and 30s jazz and swing sound, filtered through a modern mix of hip-hop and the inevitable neo-soul tag, topped with Lina's sweet vocals and insightful lyrics. It was pretty big, particularly the title track, but for some reason failed to really propel her into the Badu, Jill Scott, Lauryn territory it perhaps deserved to. And for me, that was where the story ended. I thought that Lina had become another victim of the harsh economics of the sales-driven music industry, her creativity failing to find a market and this a safe home.
I was delighted therefore to discover, albeit belatedly, her sophomore project, released in late 2005 on Hidden Beach, and entitled "The Inner Beauty Movement". My curiosity as to the nature of this long-delayed follow-up soon gave way to pure joy at what is a truly great slice of contemporary soul. Anyone with the Twelve Bar soul sensibilities is likely to enjoy this album, keeping the blues and jazz feel of her previous effort, but with a clearer overall sound and sophistication. There is not a poor track on there, and for me the album is an example of how good modern female soul can be.
The scene really suffered from the lumping together of a load of diverse artists into one "neo-soul" genre, but maybe things are now beginning to change and the artists in question are able to express their diversity more fully. Jill Scott's new offering, "The Real Thing" also on Hidden Beach, is another fine example of unique modern soul. Apparently Line has a new long player out early in 2008 and I for one will now be watching much more closely. If you haven't yet checked Lina out, get with the movement, and discover the inner beauty.
I was delighted therefore to discover, albeit belatedly, her sophomore project, released in late 2005 on Hidden Beach, and entitled "The Inner Beauty Movement". My curiosity as to the nature of this long-delayed follow-up soon gave way to pure joy at what is a truly great slice of contemporary soul. Anyone with the Twelve Bar soul sensibilities is likely to enjoy this album, keeping the blues and jazz feel of her previous effort, but with a clearer overall sound and sophistication. There is not a poor track on there, and for me the album is an example of how good modern female soul can be.
The scene really suffered from the lumping together of a load of diverse artists into one "neo-soul" genre, but maybe things are now beginning to change and the artists in question are able to express their diversity more fully. Jill Scott's new offering, "The Real Thing" also on Hidden Beach, is another fine example of unique modern soul. Apparently Line has a new long player out early in 2008 and I for one will now be watching much more closely. If you haven't yet checked Lina out, get with the movement, and discover the inner beauty.
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