On Yola’s dynamite 2019 debut Walk Through Fire the Nashville (by way of Bristol, England) rising star demonstrated her vocal majesty around light soul/country-pop constructions. Now on her follow-up, Stand For Myself, everything is amplified as Yola injects more power, passion, and purpose, elevating her craft even higher.
Working again with producer Dan Auerbach at his Easy Eye Sound studios, Yola and company have crafted incredibly lush musical surroundings for the artist to luxuriate in. The opening “Barely Alive” is a soulful combination of vocals and healing sounds while “Dancing Away In Tears” points towards new pastures as the disco beat, big horns and sultry singing style recalls Donna Summers and other 70’s dance floor greats.
On both of these tracks (and throughout the album as a whole), Yola addresses being a black female artist in the Nashville country/folk scene as well as racial strife around the world. “Diamond Studded Shoes” tackles the pay gap and other inequities via an upbeat twangy gallop while the pumping “Break The Bough” exhilaratingly gets the ass shaking with horns and driving drums as Yola dreams of freedom in tropical locales, while also railing against voter suppression.
“Whatever You Want” and the title track are the most connected to her past work with overdriven Nashville pop and a swaggering rock groove flowing through them respectively. “Like A Photograph” slows down for a piano ballad which showcases the range of Yola’s vocal prowess in front of increasingly rising dramatic tension.
An influx of sweeping strings and Auerbach’s lead guitar propel “Starlight” while “If I Had To Do It All Again” plays with a more sparse/nuanced instrumentation until the ending crescendo. While these tweaks keep things interesting, it is the retro-soul of “Now You’re Here” which is the perfect vehicle for Yola as the horn swells, bass bumps and singer go all out. More is better when it comes to Yola who dives into the torch song “Great Divide”, and really delivers the goods on “Be My Friend”, a cinematic winner composed by Yola, Auerbach, and Ruby Amanfu.
Yola, who already has a host of Grammy nominations to her name, is poised for even greater heights. Stand For Myself is a resounding success as confidence and talent oozes through each well-crafted note and stunning vocal phrase.
Photo Credit Joseph Ross Smith
