Nicole Willis and The Soul Investigators - Tortured Soul (2013)

The shining stars of contemporary soul music, Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators re-emerge in early 2013 with their much anticipated album Tortured Soul on the Timmion Records label. The new album presents a new personal sound for the group, which became known around the world in 2005 with their debut album Keep Reachin Up . With their debut album Keep Reachin Up the Brooklyn born singer and Finland s finest funk outfit drew praise from the media and audiences around the globe. The first single If This Ain t Love became a dance floor hit from New York clubs to UK s northern soul circles. The second hit single Feeling Free was chosen as the Track Of The Year by the music connoisseur Gilles Peterson in his Worldwide Awards in 2006. Keep Reachin Up was also listed among Urban Albums Of The Year by Mojo magazine. The album was licensed to France, Benelux, Italy, UK, Japan, and the United States & Canada. Naturally, this sophomore album has all the qualities that made their cardinal album a worldwide smash: the raw production techniques of Didier Selin, Nicole Willis and The Soul Investigators unique songwriting and self-styled musicianship, and the sultry stylings of the Pekka Kuusisto s string arrangements. Several tracks also feature horn arrangements and playing by the multi-talented jazz musician, Jimi Tenor. An equally new turn, is the dusky sound of these wild ones, which could be compared to the era when Motown stepped from their 1960 s pop sound more towards progressive times.