A Brand New Me

About

Dusty Springfield’s sixth album, released a year after 1969’s iconic <i>Dusty in Memphis</i>, is aglow with American soul. It might as well have been called <i>Dusty in Philadelphia</i>, because the kings of Philly soul—Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff—produced it and penned most of the tunes. So the material’s strong, to be sure, but what really gets you is Dusty’s voice. How it confesses, how it pleads. How it conveys sadness, desire, loss, and love like no one else then or now, even when she plays the stylist. (She gets all Motown-ish on “Silly Silly Fool” and channels Dionne Warwick on “Joe.”) But Dusty’s at her best when she’s longing for a lover (“Let’s Get Together Soon,” a true country-soul soother) or mourning bad decision-making because of love (“Never Love Again”). She finds grace in such frictions and themes and sings them accordingly. This extended version is fortified with nine additional songs from a second (shamefully shelved) album that she recorded with Gamble and Huff, as well as single sides, including recordings made with Arif Mardin and Jerry Wexler.

via Apple Music

The Clerk says

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