Lady, Lady (Truth & Soul)

Copasetic. Synchronous. Two adjectives when joined produce a “very satisfactory existence, arising at precisely the same time.” In other words, the vocalist soul duo, Lady, featuring Terri Walker and Nicole Wray, are a combination that is copasetic synchronicity – in numerous layers. From one side of the Atlantic, London’s R&B singer-songwriter Terri Walker released four solo albums, gaining critical acclaim and a UK Mercury Prize nomination in 2003. However, Walker’s primary livelihood derived from singing backup vocals for pop stars such as Fergie and Jennifer Hudson. At 17, the Virginia-reared Walker jumpstarted her career, singing backup behind Missy Elliot; her vocals are featured on Elliot’s ‘98 release, Supa Dupa Fly. Though she too released a solo release in ‘98 (Make It Hot), her primary work was providing backup vocals for touring bands and studio work for artists such as Kid Cudi (Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager) and The Black Keys (Brother), including their side project Blakroc.

Several years ago, the two vocalists struck a friendship in New York and made an instant bond. On the Blacroc sessions, Walker first worked with production team of Leon Michels and Jeff “Dynamite” Silverman, both composers, musicians and co-founders of the Brooklyn soul label Truth & Soul (part of the Daptone label family tree); they also provided the arrangements and production for Lee Fields’ recent solo work while recording and performing as The El Michels Affair. When Wray and Walker struck a friendship several years ago, they bonded, among other things, over the love of classic ‘60s and ‘70s soul and R&B.

From the bright ring of piano intro in the opening track, “Tell the Truth,” and the way the rest of the band falls in with crisp execution, the duo jumps in, trading lead vocals and delivering drop-dead harmonies. Wray and Walker seem to effortlessly weave their vocals, each with their own signature – Wray possesses a from-the-gut bass sound, while Walker lends a brassy, higher end. And when the two vocalists meet at the harmonies, it’s copasetic synchronicity. There’s a sincere gospel-soul conviction and immediacy that runs deep through this head-turning debut.

Equally, a perfect combination exists between the vocalist duo and the supporting musicians, all of whom are members of a talented stable under the greater Brooklyn-based Daptone label. Aside from The El Michels Affair and The Expressions, various members are featured in Menahan Street Band, The Budos Band and Sharon Jones’ Dap Kings, among others. As opposed to simply mimicking or recreating ‘60s and ‘70s soul, funk and R&B, these musicians have an ability to create hybrids from different time periods and studios – and for Lady’s self-titled debut, they specifically focus on Memphis (Stax and Hi studios), Detroit (Motown) and New York (Atlantic and The Brill Building). Under Michels and Silverman’s production, the execution and arrangements are tight, unified and live, unfettered by any clever studio recreation tricks.

Taking care of the lyrics, Walker and Wray drew inspiration from their own experiences and families, writing from the point of view of working mothers, women and, well, ladies. “We really sing to the 9-to-5 people getting up for work,” said Wray in a recent interview with Essence magazine. “The single moms, people who are struggling, people who identify with real life day-to-day situations. We came to the studio, we heard the music and we just started writing about what was going on in our lives.”

The exuberance of Lady is immediate and infectious. There’s an effortless thread that weaves through the vocals, harmonies, instrumentation and confident, yet loose, groove. Perhaps what is “recreated” is the method of recording those ‘60s and early ‘70s soul gems; coral a talented stable of musicians, find vocalists who can articulate emotion into melodies, work out arrangements and composition with said musicians and vocalists, hit record and play. Easier said than done for most. Yet Lady does it oh-so-well.