Billie & The Kids - Soulful Woman (2018)

It is by now already a fact that a release on the Rhythm Bomb label is a guarantee for a high-quality album that is full of swinging rhythm & blues or rockabilly. And that is again the case with the new, third, album by Croatian band Billie And The Kids. In their case it is an album on which the 50's rhythm & blues and jump blues are central.
The band from Zagreb consists of Ana (Billie) Klabucar (vocals), Jurica Stelma (double bass), Andrej Henigman (baritone saxophone), Berislav Antica (piano), Branimir Njikos (drums), Jerko Valdevit (tenor saxophone), Ozron Znidaric (tenor saxophone) and Axel Praefcke (guitar). A good horn section, which provides the album with a very warm, almost creamy swinging sound. Singer Ana is very positive because of her raw, bluesy vocals, which reminds Etta James more than once.

The album will be opened by moody winds in I Will not Be Your Fool, which continues as a funky rhythm & blues song with almost growling raw vocals from Ana and biting bluesy guitar work. Who's The One That Stole Your Heart is a lazy long-awaited rhythm & blueshuffle in which Ana begs for love. A warm bopping bass keeps the swing in this song which also includes a jazzy piano and guitar solo. Ana screams in the steamy jump blues of He Can Rock. A song with a Little Richard-like wildness, grunting sax solo and piercing guitar work. In the languid pumping shuffle You Is not Pleasing Me from Ana growling her dissatisfaction. The band does its utmost to please her, solid pumping.
Another Love is a sultry rhythm & blues sharpener with warm wind instruments, bluesy guitar and Ana's soulful, powerful voice with that ever-present scream. In Same Thing the band goes on the angular swinging New Orleans tour with pumping horns, rocking piano and fierce raw vocals. Horror Movie starts like a lazy shuffle until a steamy acceleration is used in the chorus.
Love Me Tonight is a special kind of rhythm & blues rhumba. Try dancing to this without having to stand on your partner's toes! A kind of hop-step jump rhythm & blues! With a title like He's Gone, you can not escape a ballad full of soul pain. And that comes to you in an angular jazzy ballad that is sung with emotion full of Ana.
After the sweltering If Lovin 'Is Believin' the album is closed in a bluesy manner with the razor-sharp shuffle Baby, How Long.

Billie And the Kids are able to create an authentic sounding 50's sound without sounding old-fashioned.