Jimetta Rose – The Gift: Around The Way Queen [LP]

Jimetta Rose shows that the torch of the next generation of eclectic and talented songstresses has definitely been passed with the release of her newest project, The Gift – Around The Way Queen. Rose brings together loose musical threads from the past five decades of black music to create something adventurous and addictive. Her work is that of an pondering soul who walks the line between earthy sounds rooted in the past and spacey-spiritual vibes that are fixated on the future.

“The Ledge” takes listeners back to the stony days of 70’s soul music with it’s grainy piano melody and politically charged, black-life themes. Full of fearlessness and camaraderie, this songs establishes a throwback feel very early on in the album. In a little over three minutes, Jimetta and company touch on poverty, gun violence, mental health issues, spirituality, racism, classism, and more. But what makes it such a great tune is that it simply feels like a lost funk-45 that doesn’t require a lot of analysis to enjoy.

On “Still Here“, the Cali-reppin‘ soul star delivers a head nodding, life-affirming jam that recalls the finest moments from Georgia Anne Muldrow and Madlib‘s critically acclaimed Seeds album. Thematically, the song speak about relationships between men and women – from those earliest days on the shores of creation to modern day interactions. On a larger scale, it’s one of those songs that just creates a feel-good vibe. So when our favorite lady sings “Free to dance in sunshine/Pray in the rain/Blacker than the dark night/Don’t be afraid” you can’t help but sink into her sundrenched rasp and know in your soul that everything is going to be alright.

A couple of other standouts include “Oohs & Ahhs” – an uptempo broken-beat gem that has Jimetta shooting her shot at a special someone who has her tossing and turning day and night – and “When You Wake Up”, where producer EXT lets loose a haunting bit of future-funk for Rose to wax poetic about life and its deeper meanings.

I am really impressed with the craftsmanship and the unique soundscape that Jimetta Rose has created on her third full-length album. The Gift – Around The Way Queen is a great album by itself and a great alternative for soul fans looking for a slightly off-kilter, alt-soul fix. Still, that doesn’t mean that the album is without flaws. At times it can sound a bit too organic and raw, resulting in a sound that comes across as directionless riffing. To me “Black Light” is a great example of this. It’s not a bad song, but the lyrics seem to change direction over and over again and make it hard to follow along with what’s happening. All said, The Gift – Around The Way Queen is an amazing set that allows Jimetta Rose to find her way through the noise on her own terms.

You can listen to (and buy) The Gift – Around The Way Queen via the links listed below as well as catch up on the latest music and news from Jimetta Rose by making sure that you’re connected to her via the social links listed below.

8/10 – Excellent

This is an album that I will be telling all of my friends about. It is a set that I am hard-pressed to find anything to complain about beyond a few trivial nitpicks or annoyances. It may even be the best album of the year and certainly in the top 10.

Stream & buy Jimetta Rose’s music on…
( Amazon | Apple_Music | Bandcamp | Deezer | Spotify | Tidal | YouTube_Music )

Connect with Jimetta Rose on…
( Facebook | Instagram | Official_Site | Soundcloud | Twitter | YouTube )