Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights (2007)

The champions of the new generation's purist strain are Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings. After the often upbeat, always exciting sounds of 2005's Naturally, the band's next outing comes off as a slightly more tempered affair. The title track opens with an indefatigable statement of purpose, dropping into a late-stage, sub-halftime groove so Jones can fully "take [her] time" lamenting her missing man. Elsewhere, her voice effortless treads the heights and depths of its range with timeless aplomb ("Be Easy," "When the Other Foot Drops, Uncle," "Answer Me"). The Dap Kings themselves have reached a pocket-digging near-perfection, recent collaborations with Kanye West, Lily Allen, and the aforementioned Winehouse, yielding the sounds of a band at the top of its game. At times, these tracks court the uninspired flavor of the wholly derivative, but in all, 100 Days, 100 Nights makes for a very welcome addition to any avid listener's contemporary soul music library.

Tracklist:


01. 100 Days, 100 Nights
02. Nobody's Baby
03. Tell Me
04. Be Easy
05. When the Other Foot Drops, Uncle
06. Let Them Knock
07. Something's Changed
08. Humble Me
09. Keep On Looking
10. Answer Me