Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Yola, Easy Eye Sound 2021.
Yola (Yolanda Claire Quartey) is an English (Bristol) born singer who, after limited success in England, relocated to Nashville Tennessee and teamed up with producer Dan Auerbach.
Their first collaboration, Walk Through Fire, was an instant success and gained substantial critical acclaim.
The album, co-written by Yola and Auerbach, was based on Yola’s experience of escaping from her home which was on fire.
Auerbach put together a band comprised of the cream of Nashville’s session musicians for the project and many of those musos appear on Stand For Myself.
Many people in the know believe that Yola’s career is about to take off.
Her early musical experiences were shaped as a front woman for a variety of bands ranging from jazz to rock outfits which she credits as helping to form her vocal style.
Among the bands she fronted were Bugz In The Attic, Duke Dumont and Massive Attack.
Stand For Myself was once again produced by Dan Auerbach and Yola has said she feels that she’s really been able to put more of herself into this release than her previous efforts.
Stand For Myself is a soul album and Yola has the right voice to bring these songs to life.
There’s not a dud cut among the 12 tracks on the disc and I’m sure that Yola could sing the phone book and make a classic of it.
Her voice can convey the full range of emotions from the whispered and intimate to the power of a full-on stadium anthem, and often this happens in the same song.
In the track The Great Divide her depth and range of emotion is breathtaking.
In Starlight she gives us a touch of Amy Winehouse’s R&B/soul to match anything the great Amy could muster herself.
Stand For Myself is one of those albums that drags you in the further you travel through the dozen tracks.
There is great variety from the classic soul formula of tracks like Dancing Away The Tears to the funky edginess of If I Had To Do It All Again there’s something for everyone on the album.
Yola has paid her dues and her time in the spotlight has arrived.
