Cafe R&B - Blues And All The Rest (2002) Lossless

Roach's rich soprano can ascend in a heartbeat from a meow to a whorehouse mama's bellow without sacrificing accuracy or nuance. Her purrs smolder with pent-up power; her midrange belting is whiskey-coarse but unerringly melodic; even her most audacious upper-register shreiks sound unforced. Like a Jazz singer, she often sound as if she's thinking in triplets; even when she's bucking a thunderous shuffle or rock 'n' roll boogie, she'll dip insinusting in to whatever spaces she can find between the beats, then grab the rhythm again and ride it, wailing and testifying to it's conclusion. On their most recent release, Blues and all the Rest, Roach sounds more torrid than ever. The most riviting track "Something Down", is a country- folk lament with Memphis overtones that masterfully involks the existential displacement of true heartbreak.. Roach's voice starts out silky, slowly aquires a wounded edge, and ultimately explodes into a wail of desolation past caring. (Chicago Reader)

"Tears welling up behind ther door/ I can't stop 'till I find myself a little bit more/ It's my own little trip -my pony ride/ There ain't one damn reason you should see inside of me." Cafe R&B singer 'Roach' divulges on the opening track "Our Town"... Cafe R&B delivers big on their latest release Blues and all the rest, which spotlights a range extending from original blues-rock tunes to gutsy covers of classics such as "Born under a bad sign" to boogaloo-style R&B, and somber balladry". (East Bay Express)