Give the People What They Want

Daptone Records

Street: 01.14

Sharon Jones = James Brown + Alabama Shakes

After a battle with cancer this past summer and the subsequent delayed release of the album, Sharon Jones returns with her Dap-Kings, more powerful than ever, with the appropriately titled Give the People What They Want—the follow-up to 2010’s I Learned the Hard Way. Give the People What They Want isn’t just a subtle throwback to ’60s soul music—it is the resurrection of soul music. “Retreat” revives a crisp ‘60s psych sound with stabbing guitar that is softened by a super funky bass line, warm horns and Jones’ smoky voice.

“Now I See” is the anti-love anthem that has you jumping around your living room and forgetting all your bad relationships, and the album ends with a sweet and soft, horn-heavy love song, “Slow Down Love,” which leaves you lamenting the good ones. Jones & The Dap-Kings only get stronger with every release and every obstacle, making this one of their most solid albums of the past decade. –D. Russell