Judith Owen‘s New Orleans chapter continues with “Inside Out,” pulled from her acclaimed album “Suit Yourself,” which has now crossed a million streams. Co-written with Grammy-winning drummer and Snarky Puppy alum Jamison Ross, who also plays with Owen’s band the Gentlemen Callers, the track brings in the Tonya Boyd-Cannon Choir for a full gospel lift on top of the old-school soul foundation. Owen has described the song as being about “who I’ve finally allowed myself to become,” a track rooted in choosing joy and finding hope even in hard times, the same spirit she credits New Orleans itself for teaching her.
Beautifully dynamic as always, this is an absolute pleasure to listen to, and that dynamism is really the story of the track. Owen moves through the arrangement, letting the groove build and the choir swell around her rather than keeping everything at one steady temperature throughout. Ross himself has called it a “soul bop,” the kind of feeling that makes you move before you even realize you’re moving. The song is warm, celebratory, and it doesn’t need to be anything more complicated than just a genuinely good time. That simplicity is why it works. If one note from Judith is this powerful, then it’s not needed to go crazy; less is more is the motto here for sure.
Coming off “Suit Yourself,” an album that’s already found Owen digging into the deep well of jazz, blues and soul tradition with collaborators like Joe Bonamassa and Davell Crawford, “Inside Out” makes a strong case for her New Orleans period as one of the most vibrant stretches of her career. With tour dates stretching from the US through Europe well into next year, this track is a fitting centerpiece for a live show clearly built around exactly this kind of celebratory energy.