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Yola – Walk Through Fire (Deluxe Edition) (2019)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 47:40 minutes | 598 MB | Genre: Soul, Country
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Easy Eye Sound – Nonesuch

British rising star Yola’s debut solo album, Walk Through Fire, is produced by The Black Keys’ eight-time Grammy Award winner Dan Auerbach. Yola has blazed her own trail with an unshakable passion for the soul and country music she loves. Walk Through Fire is a contemporary twist on a traditional sonic tapestry of orchestral strings, fiddle, steel and shimmering tremolo guitars, it provides the perfect soundtrack to Yola’s arresting vocals, which first came to the attention of Auerbach after a friend sent him a video of Yola performing in Nashville. Yola’s video (directed by Reid Long) for her debut song ‘Ride Out In The Country’ is the first taste of the forthcoming record. Dan Auerbach stated, “The moment I met Yola I was impressed. Her spirit fills the room, just like her voice… she has the ability to sing in a full roar or barely a whisper and that is a true gift. She made everyone in the studio an instant believer.” Yola said, “Lyrically the song is about escapism and the video adds an awesome twist. We wrote the song about getting away from an oppressive environment. I was in an abusive relationship a while back, so I drew on the feeling of relief and release that I had when I truly felt free.” Hailing from a small town outside Bristol, Yola grew up in poverty with an unsupportive parent who “banned” her from making any music. She later became homeless, living on the streets of London and also experienced stress-induced voice loss. Yola overcame these challenges to launch a successful sideline in writing, performing on pop hits and briefly joined Massive Attack. She was also the main writer and front woman in Phantom Limb, opening for artists including James Brown and Dr. John before pursuing her solo career in 2016. She quickly made her mark in the US with her vocal powers and innovative songwriting winning early supporters, including Rolling Stone, the Wall Street Journal, Paste, Stereogum, NPR and The Current’s Bill DeVille who exclaimed, “She’s a powerhouse of a singer: she’s part Southern soul, she’s part gospel and she’s completely amazing. You’ll want to remember her name: Yola.” Written and recorded at Auerbach’s Nashville studio, Easy Eye Sound, Walk Through Fire is a truly collaborative record. It was written in the studio by Yola and Auerbach with contributions from songwriting legends who between them have written songs for artists from Glen Campbell to Aretha Franklin. Auerbach also assembled his Easy Eye Sound all-star house band composed of legendary session players. Musicians who performed on the record include bassist Dave Roe (Johnny Cash) as well as drummer Gene Chrisman and pianist Bobby Wood who played on hits by Dusty Springfield and Elvis Presley. Guest performers include up-and-comer Molly Tuttle and country music icon Vince Gill. Yola’s debut album Walk Through Fire is the latest release on Dan Auerbach’s record label, Easy Eye Sound, distributed by his longtime label Nonesuch Records.

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Yola – Walk Through Fire (2019)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 41:15 minutes | 506 MB | Genre: Soul, Country
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Easy Eye Sound – Nonesuch

Sometimes the longer the journey toward self-discovery, the bigger the payoff. Raised in Bristol, England, Yola Carter’s been homeless, sung in front of 60,000 at Glastonbury with Massive Attack and written hits for Will Young and Chase & Status. And yet she couldn’t quite find the right setting for her voice and a musical match for her heart until now. Influenced by Otis Redding, Dolly Parton and Aretha Franklin, Yola eventually gravitated towards country soul, that rarified Americana fusion that mixes organs with pedal steel guitar and Memphis soul grit and Nashville fiddles with the passions of gospel. Sensing opportune timing, The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, a master at mixing 60s retro elements into a modern brand of rootsy pop music, brought her to Nashville to write and record her debut album with veteran sidemen like pianist Bobby Wood and drummer Gene Chrisman, both members of American Sound Studio’s house band The Memphis Boys.  To cinch success, Yola co-wrote the simmering title track with Dan Penn (“I’m Your Puppet,” “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man”). At the center of it all is Yola’s dramatic, emotive voice; it’s a little reminiscent of Dusty Springfield and a perfect match for Roy Orbison-styled tales of lost love. The alchemy of her mighty vocals and Auerbach’s retro stylings shines brightest in “Lonely the Night,” a mashup of quavering Spector-esque Wall of Sound and smooth countrypolitan gloss seasoned with a glockenspiel and an irresistible hook in the chorus. That’s followed by the bouncy soul pop of “Still Gone,” and the album’s knockout ballad, “Keep Me Here,” where she duets to perfection with the high tenor of the incomparable Vince Gill. Few debut albums grab and sustain an awesome sense of discovery with as much style as Walk Through Fire.  – Robert Baird

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