Kisses Before the Sun (2011)

Cadence_Kisses_Before_the_Sun.jpg

One of the underreported stories of the indie soul movement has been the number of artists making acoustic music. Pretty much under the radar, a crop of performers arose willing to accept certain non-response from the music industry for music with with mature lyrics that is anything but overproduced. This is not 1970s when radio stations had to latitude to play music by an artist like Bill Withers. So when performers like Brandon White and Shatera Anderson – the duo known as Cadence – make an acoustic album like Kisses Before the Sun, they know the odds.

And while Kisses Before the Sun consists largely of introspective songs made for the coffee house set, it would be wrong to say there are no radio friendly tracks on the album. The breaking free anthem “This Letter,” tells the story that radio can embrace. On the song, Anderson sings a goodbye letter to a man who takes her for granted. The song contains a memorable hook, and neo-soul sounding arrangement definitely gives “This Letter” an urban radio feel.  The guitar/vocal duet “Inner Me” is a song that continues the growth process that Anderson started in “This Letter.” In this song, Anderson sings about making the painful but necessary effort to step out on her own in order to find herself.

Anderson said in an interview that while many artists address hypothetical situations in their songs, she seeks sing about real life emotions and situations. Listeners will find songs of independence and songs of longing on Kisses Before the Sun. And while some listeners may wonder how Anderson can declare are independence on a song like “This Letter” and then sing a song like “Goodbye” where she is begging her lover to stay, that’s the wrong question because real life is the source for both songs. Anderson can sound vulnerable on a song like “Goodbye,” she can sound perplexed on a tune like “I Tried” and like a woman moving from anger to acceptance on “This Letter” and “Inner Me.” We’ve all experienced the range of those emotions, and the strength of the Anderson/White singing and songwriting combination is that can make us suspend disbelief and experience those emotions with the performers. This kind of emotional variety and depth is modern radio’s loss – but Cadence’s fans’ gain. Recommended

 

By Howard Dukes

Never miss any important news. Subscribe to our newsletter.

Album of the Month

Various Artists

80s Soul Classics, Vol. 8

Choice Cut

Walter Beasley

"Come Live With Me"

Choice Cut

Paul Anthony

"Ready to Learn Your Love"

See The Finalists

SoulTracks Readers' Choice Awards

Never miss any important news. Subscribe to our newsletter.