Much more than a soul tribute
"This gets very close to a masterpiece. Previously a New Yorker, now based in Finland, Nicole Willis with Helsinki band The Soul Investigators ooze respect for American soul. Don’t get me wrong: this is no mere pastiche or a case fetishising the past. Tortured Soul continues to take the tradition forward."
NICOLE WILLIS AND THE SOUL INVESTIGATORS: Tortured Soul
Timmion Records TRCD-007
This gets very close to a masterpiece. Previously a New Yorker, now based in Finland, Nicole Willis with Helsinki band The Soul Investigators ooze respect for American soul. Don’t get me wrong: this is no mere pastiche or a case fetishising the past. Tortured Soul continues to take the tradition forward. Organs and guitars howl with beauty, while the arrangements are full of fantastic details. Producer Didier Selin has worked his magic, and you could even roll up a cigarette from Tortured Soul’s dusty allure.
Timo Harjuniemi
Translation: Jonathan Mander