Leela James - Are You Ready (2019)

Leela James teams up with guitarist Jairus Mozee, bassist Eric Ingram, and drummer David Haddon from The Truth Band for a funky new project, Are You Ready? The group recorded the EP in about two weeks, experimenting with a fusion of rock, soul, and blues. It’s clear from every track that the chemistry of the group was explosive, allowing for the energy of the music to write itself into the EP.

Are You Ready? opens with a funky intro track titled “Are You Ready” that gives listeners a taste of James’s sassy style. It flows smoothly into the following track, “Get Down”, a light groove despite a powerful guitar solo and firey vocal line from James. The dynamism of the song stands in contrast to “I’m Out!!” which turns the tempo down with a hollow sound and full bass line. To maintain the changing nature of the EP, James includes a very upbeat fifth track, “That Woman”. The song features impressive growling vocals from James paired with gritty electric guitar and a classic rock and roll drum line. James’s ad libs that are scattered throughout the track keep listeners interested even as the instrumental falls into a loop. The last song of the EP, “I Still Believe”, gives listeners a taste of indie rock style guitar. A great way to end, the track slows the EP down again with softer lyrics, mellow melodies, and gentler instrumentation that are reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen.