Sabrina, Sayed: Thou Art That

Although she arrives with some pedigree, I must admit that Sayed Sabrina is a completely new name on me, even though she has played on the same bills as the likes of B.B. King, Los Lobos, Jimmy Cliff, Dr. John, Leon Russell, and The Temptations. However, Sayed Sabrina doesn’t claim to be a blues howler, with the lady herself stating on her website that she is “More like a singer that knows what it’s like to have the blues. I like emotionally driven music.� And there’s no doubt of that.

Now I like emotional music too but I can’t pretend to get what’s presented on Thou Art That at all. With a vocal style that’s wide, varied, expansive and full on, Sabrina likes to bring it all. All the time. With unusual phrasings and a desire to push and pull the energy at every turn, it’s just all way too much for my taste. I mean the lady can sing - and then some - but some of the over extensions and strange over the top little asides at the end of a lot of the lyrical lines on opener “The Pedestrian� simply have me scratching my head.

The band are stellar, featuring the talents of Bobby Watson (Rufus, Michael Jackson), Sarah Morrow (Dr. John, Ray Charles), Gary Herbig (Elvis, Tower of Power), Carlos De La Paz (Cid, Mandrels) and Bryan Head (Dick Dale, Roger Hodgson), with the results being a full on fusion of blues, soul, jazz and in places, funk. It’s played to perfection and yet feels like it’s all a vehicle to simply let the singer stretch out, with nothing much of any excitement really going on. Whether through the energetic “Star Shines� or the pre-album single “Goodie Two Shoes�, count me as utterly flummoxed by this and for those who get a kick from it, I can only apologise.

This lady’s previous release, Big Boy Blues, it would appear, was quite the success and I wish Sayed Sabrina a similar reaction to her Thou Art That follow up. I for one, however, won’t be along for the ride.

Track Listing
1. The Pedestrian
2. Star Shines
3. The Devil And The Good Lord
4. Free Consciousness
5. What’s Happening Here
6. Goodie Two Shoes
7. Everybody Knows
8. Everyday
9. Into The Mouth Of The Serpent
10. Home Is In Your Head
11. Ghosts
12. The Grande Illusion

Added: April 21st 2020
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Sayed Sabrina online
Hits: 915
Language: english

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