Leyla McCalla - The Capitalist Blues (2019) [Hi-Res]

The Capitalist Blues, ex-Carolina Chocolate Drop Leyla's McCalla's forthcoming third album, shows a more physical, danceable side to her music. The title track is a swinging blues, and it's easy to hear the classic New Orleans R&B in "Me and My Baby," and the calypso in "Money is King." The album also puts McCalla's voice in a number of new contexts as the size and composition of the band behind her varies from track to track. "There's more arrangement," she says, so her voice stands out in the way fans of her previous albums might expect on the spare "Pennha," but she's clearly part of a rowdy group on "Me and My Baby." "The album was produced by Jimmy Horn of New Orleans R&B band King James and the Special Men and features a stellar cast of Louisiana musicians including, Shannon Powell, Carl LeBlanc, Louis Michot, Corey Ledet, the Haitian musical collective Lakou Mizik and more! These songs stewed for a long time and now they are finally seeing the light of day! Can't wait for you to listen. Capitalist Blues is comprised of songs that reflect my experience living in a capitalist society, where we are always expected to do more, be more, and have more. While many of these songs are drawn from my most personal experiences of motherhood, I also find myself questioning the myriad inequities of the world that we live in and how that juxtaposes our ideals in a democratic society. As a musician, I never imagined that the Capitalist Blues would make me so damn happy and perhaps that represents the paradox of it all.