Victoria Klewin and The True Tones-Dance Me To Heaven review (2016)

(Originally Published in Summer 2016 with Kemptation Magazine)

Due to be released in October 2016, Victoria Klewin and the true tones’ are all geared up to waves in the world of contemporary jazz and soul with Dance me to heaven.The band containing sax player(Sophie Stockham) drums(Tom Bradley) bass(Mark James) guitar(Paul Crawford) keys(Sam Mills) and Klewin’s vocals,are releasing their debut album.Dance me to heaven is fiery,sassy, uninhibited yet effortlessly smooth and cool.In terms of theme,the songs are centred around self strength and moving on and resisting a past lover.

Can’t help myself is undeniably one of the strongest tracks.No slow enticing introduction to the song,no build up and no hanging about.Straight from the beginning of the tune, we are thrown deep into a plethora of groovy, catchy soulful bassline and beats, reminiscent of good old funk and soul.The organs that strike up during the song drives the song along with some edgy guitar riffs flaring up in the background.A little bit of Joss stone’s powerful voice can definitely be heard,especially when Klewin really begins to growl her notes towards the end of the track.

All that glitters transports us back through to time to a Howard Hawks film noir movie.Ominious and enigmatic,you can almost envision a smoky, dark jazz/blues bar or speakeasy,as the jaunty bass starts off the song.This time, Klewin showcases her velvet smooth,sensual tones warning her ex lover of the perils of superficiality and materialism.Serious props have to be given to Mills on keys for the incredible intricate solo,which injected an authentic blues feel.Before the end, the lead vocalist teases us with her incredibly impressive scat skills as the song draws to a close.

Dance me to heaven, (also the title of the record) surprisingly didn’t quite match the standard of the other songs.Despite this, the track stood out for me but not because of the musical composition.Lyrically,it provided a gorgeous contrast to the more angsty, bold, songs on the album.The lyrics are more nostalgic and less fierce,  and showcase the softer,vulnerable side of Klewin’s vocals. Although beautifully written, the song dragged on for a lengthy five minutes.

Overall,the album was fantastically crafted,giving homage to some of the best genres of all time.The result of Klewin’s unmistakable voice and blend of jazz/blues and funk equals a statement debut record that really packs a punch.

Rating 8.9

(photo credits:Talkingpassions.com)