It is a sizeable task that April Gallo tries to tackle with this release. Attempting to fill the shoes of the likes of the great Adele and Amy Winehouse, and consecutively the shoes of the likes of the legendary Nina Simone, this release blends classic and neo-soul with R&B and Jazz and singer/songwriter music. Let’s see how far she goes into this task.
The Melbourne-based Aussie’s latest song is a sweet and alluring piece, with a slow danceable groove and gorgeously played funk guitar, courtesy of Kumar Shome. The beats are solid and steady, and the mix is balanced with precision and is a pleasure to listen to, very little to report on part of the production. The songwriting on the other hand is full and satisfying, verses melt into pre-choruses that bleed into large and catchy hooks that fizzle out into post-choruses and back to verses with the eventual bridge, never seeming linear or lazy. The guitars, drums, and bass sound live-tracked. Lively, varying, and alive, and while April Gallo never soars up to the highs of Amy Winehouse or even down to the bass-ey lows of Nina, she manages to pull off an enjoyable and engaging performance that displays control that more than makes up for the lack of range.
While not necessarily tackling the challenge head-on, April shrewdly does her own take on this infamously demanding style of music. Aided by an illustrious group of musicians, she displays her best qualities and makes them consistently shine on a truly enjoyable piece of modern R&B.