London's very own soulful Yomi returns with a real storm on this 4 track EP. At the moment it is available digitally from iTunes, but will soon be available in hard CD format - my preferred option! This really is a seriously soulful, strong and healthy UK soul effort and one of our old friends, Ray Hayden has overseen this gem. Ensconced in his Opaz studios, Ray has taken Yomi and helped craft a very essential set of urban / street soul flavours with more emphasis on the connoisseur than the bling encrusted hoodlum. ray has a great sense of presence, production wise. He creates a mystical, ethereal yet very sturdy shuffling head-bobber with the opening track, "Head O' Mine", complete with acoustic guitar and strings. One of Ray's best pieces of work, I believe - and he has produced some wicked, wicked grooves over the years! "Why Oh Why" follows the spine-tingling trend, the deep rumbling background and shaker-style percussion act as the perfect backdrop for Yomi's more-than-capable vocals. These songs have a classic 70s feel in the mix, interwoven with the warm, embracing urban sound that Ray has got off to a tee....superb, superb, superb. "Your Name" apes Barry White's dramatic approach; the stabbing strings and orchestral movements feel dark, urgent and feverish...Yomi himself pours out his heart for a love that has gone wrong. This is a perfect symbiosis of urgency, emotion and depth of feeling encapsulated in song. Brilliant, and very difficult to assemble. The final song uplifts us with "No More" - do I hear a hint of Auto tune here?! Well, if so it is very much in vogue AND I know full well that this UK Soul Brother does NOT need to rely on it 100% as many (all?!) young US RnB artists do these days! I would name names but that would be cruel, if mischievously fun! Anyhap, Yomi's new release is essential and available NOW at the click of a button. Do not miss.
Barry Towler
The Vibe Scribe
