Joey Negro & The Sunburst Band – The Secret Life Of Us Album – (Z Records)

As the sun-drenched months descend upon us, Joey Negro & The Sunburst Band unleash their highly anticipated 4th studio album titled ‘The Secret Life Of Us’ on Z Records. Packed with Sunburst signature sounds – a lush cross pollenating hot soul, jazz, funk, electro-boogie and disco dazzlers, ‘The Secret Life Of Us’ is their most exciting adventure into modern soulful music yet! Who could resist the catchy Chic style disco of the title track with its story of an illicit affair or the witty, ‘this woman wears the trousers’, 2 step boogie ‘My Way’. Things get jazzier on the moody electro ‘Jazz The DMX’ with Bluenote piano and dubby weirdness, while the rolling downtempo pimp groove of ‘Opus de Soul’ has beautiful lush live strings that even Barry White might be proud of. Even echoes of the Doobie Brothers resonate through ‘Caught In The Moment’.

The album also features their glimmering disco-tinged outing, ‘In The Thick Of It’. What is common throughout ‘The Secret Life Of Us’ is the attention to detail and labour of love that’s gone into crafting this wonderful collection of fantastic songs, all performed by a truly heavyweight collective of talent! ‘The Secret Life Of Us’ features band members who regularly play live around the world headed by singers Pete Simpson and Donna Gardier, the nucleus of Tony Remy (guitar), Julian Crampton (bass) and Frank Tontoh (drums). These are also joined by a selection of vocal stars from the soulful scene including Angela Johnson, Noelle Scaggs, Darien and Vivienne McKone. Combine this standard of musicianship with strong songs and Dave’s sharp arrangements and you’ve got a potent brew both in the studio and on the live stage. Joey co-wrote most of the songs with Diane Charlemagne, who also performs vocals on ‘My Way’, ‘Definition of Love’ and the album title track with Donna Gardier. A brilliant piece of work!

5 out of 5

Reviewed By Soto