Aficionados of contempo soul in the classique mode may already know of Nicole Willis & the Soul Investigators. The Brooklyn-born vocalist has resided in Helsinki for roughly a decade, and her association with the Finnish instrumental unit commenced in the early 2000s. Some may persist in making quick-trigger comparisons to Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, but within the parameters of neo-soul Willis’ blend of the sophisto and the funky persists in bearing a distinctive stamp. Happiness in Every Style is the third album from this union, and it’s out October 2nd on LP and CD via Timmion Records.
Nicole Willis’ status as a veteran spans back to the 1980s. Beginning her career in the New York groups Blue Period and Hello Strangers, in mid-decade London she took part in Washington Week in Review (alongside future members of Brand New Heavies). Back in NYC Willis was in an early lineup of fleeting dance-pop titans Deee-Lite and in ’89 was a vocalist on The The’s Mind Bomb tour.
Heading into the ‘90s she helped comprise the acid jazz/soul outfit Repercussions. Amongst their recordings: the ’92 club hit “Passion,” ‘94’s collaboration with Curtis Mayfield “Let’s Do it Again,” and a pair of full-lengths, ‘95’s Earth and Heaven and ‘97’s Charmed Life. In ’98 Willis contributed to UK electronic act Leftfield’s track “Swords” and entered the new millennium with a solo album.
2000’s Soul Makeover and its ‘04 follow-up Be It explore electronic funk-R&B with assistance from her musician-producer-arranger husband Jimi Tenor. A musically prolific couple, they’ve recently completed two records of house music as Cola & Jimmu. All this background contrasts somewhat with her work with the Soul Investigators, a team-up that announced its presence on the ‘03 single “You Better Change” b/w “Raw Steaks,” the a-side also appearing on Be It.
Extant since 1998, the discography of Helsinki’s Soul Investigators isn’t exclusive to Willis. Initially released under the name Calypso King & the Soul Investigators, ’02’s Home Cooking is a smoker in the style of the early Meters; two years later they backed up Philadelphia legend Herb Johnson on a slender beast of a single. A mess of 45s has subsequently surfaced, and last year a collab LP with US duo Myron & E was issued by the Stones Throw imprint.
In ’05 Keep Reachin’ Up emerged on Timmion, the label run by Soul Investigators Jukka Sarapaa (drums) and Sami Kantelinen (bass), the debut immediately establishing their bond with Willis as a key factor in the classic soul revival. Sporting smartly arranged horns and strings, trim guitar riffs, judicious organ, in-the-pocket rhythms and sheer throat prowess, they stood out in part through the cultivation of downright gorgeous Motown gestures, especially “My Four Leaf Clover.”
They were also adept at blending lushness and funk, a decidedly ‘70s manner with orchestral strings recalling Hayes and Mayfield extending into ‘13’s Tortured Soul. Aiding a powerful voice and deft ensemble execution was strength of material and a disciplined middle ground between range and focus, mixing balladry and hard-driving R&B while maintaining a tangible musical personality.
The recipe continues to develop on Happiness in Every Style. “One in a Million” opens with a sunny disposition best exemplified by the vibrancy of the horn section and Willis’ direct, sturdy vocalizing. Propelling the track is a lively yet agile rhythmic engine as the guitars, provided by Pete Toikkanen and Seppo Salmi, are delivered with buoyant precision.
Crucial is the tasteful restraint of Anti Maattanen on the organ, his good judgment particularly striking during “Where Are You Now,” the cut bringing it down a few notches for a deep groove spotlighting Willis’ expressive abilities. Integrating hand percussion and an atmosphere that’s smooth but not slick, the aura lands firmly in the ‘70s.
Notably, the overall scenario lacks the string ambiance of their prior efforts; instead the thrust is inclined toward the Roots end of the soul spectrum. The brisker pace of “Let’s Communicate” can and assuredly will move bodies, but Happiness in Every Style doesn’t aim for the ‘70s-era dance floor or pop chart. As indicative in the title, Willis and the Investigators desire to raise consciousness through pure soul verve.
Standout track “Angel” expertly settles down, the singer navigating her lyrics with a mingling of intensity and finesse, the music reminiscent of the elevated science produced at Royal Studios in the early ‘70s. Indeed, throughout the LP Willis and crew’s rapport attains a clear peak, and a pair of instrumentals reinforces the Soul Investigators as considerably more than mere back-up.
“Bad Viberations” is the first, and it unfurls a relaxed but tough groove as a springboard for an excursion into funky fluting. Akin to the organ, a badly applied flute can frequently spoil an otherwise appealing soul smorgasbord; happily Jimi Tenor avoids the snafu of too many notes and simultaneously resists plunging into aural foofery, “Bad Viberations” flowing like a soundtrack to a ‘70s action flick.
The Lalo Schifrin mood is only intensified on the second instrumental “Vulture’s Prayer,” its reverberations coming deep on the second side and inspiring visions of a leather jacket clad narcotics cop tooling around municipal pavement in a souped-up sports car. After “Bad Viberations” Willis returns with the robust positivity of “Together We Climb,” the song highlighting the tightening stylistics; unlike the intermittent Northern Soul flashes of earlier outings, Happiness in Every Style remains rooted in the 1970s. After a dynamic organ spot, the cut unexpectedly fades out just as Willis reenters.
“Open Sky” provides another vocal showcase amidst some of the disc’s finest blowing, most impressively in the non-standard-issue stabs of trombone. Next, “Paint Me in a Corner”’s bright temperament, purposefully enhanced by the jaunty horns, Tenor’s vibe playing and Willis’ overdubbed backing, offers a terrific slice of Philly soul, and “Thief in the Night” lowers the heat one more time as Martti Vesala dishes superb trumpet; altogether it’s like a tidbit of a late set from the stage of Smalls Paradise.
The CD culminates with “Hot Sauce,” a potent bonus track previously available on a Timmion Records’ 12-inch Disco Single featuring breathily intoning as the band inspects a humid funk milieu for over six minutes. Lending the set a nice capper, even without “Hot Sauce” Happiness in Every Style is a rousing success; Nicole Willis & the Soul Investigators have honed their expertise into a record of significant value.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
A
