Julie Dexter - New Again (2011)

British soul has an identifiable sound, and contrary to the prevailing opinions of many on this side of the pond, Brits such as Julie Dexter don't have anything about which to feel insecure. Look, soul music is an American creation; however, soul music is now an international phenomenon, and artists worldwide take the music and add their own flourishes. For artists such as Dexter, that means fusing soul, funk and jazz with the influences of the Caribbean. That formula has worked for outfits such as Loose Ends, Soul II Soul and Incognito since the 1980s, and it pays off for Dexter on her new project, titled New Again.

It should be no surprise that Dexter draws influences from her Caribbean roots. Dexter was born in Birmingham, England to Jamaican parents and she grew up listening to reggae along with soul artists like Michael Jackson. Later, she developed an affinity for jazz vocalists such as Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. Dexter has called on all of those influences since she embarked on her solo career at the start of the last decade, and she continues that trend on New Again.

Dexter's jazz vocalist chops come through on the track "Broke Up About It." The tune tells the story of woman who falls in love with a married man who returns to his family and leaves the woman to raise a child alone. Dexter employs the jazz method of singing slightly behind the track's island infused melody. Dance music has long been a European staple, and Dexter showcases her dance queen skills on the electronica/soul song "Make You Dance."

Soul music listeners expect artists to create works that have strong lyrical content, and on New Again the songs manage to be accessible without coming across as juvenile. Dexter uses the literary form of the simile on the tune "Love 2 Love." Music fans hear the simile a lot these days, but it's often used to objectify women. On "Love 2 Love," Dexter goes in the opposite direction by comparing the love and kisses shared by her and her lover to the wind and a storm. The love can take the couple in any direction and the kisses can stir up passions that are as strong as a thunderstorm.

Dexter's international background (she now lives in Atlanta) and the descriptive lyricism that she employs are two reasons why I have always found her to be an interesting artist. Additionally, Dexter possesses a unique voice. You can say that a British singer such as Amy Winehouse infuses her vocals with an early 1960s girl group sound. I've had no such luck putting Dexter into a box. I first heard Dexter's distinctive voice on her duet with Anthony David on the latter's great 2004 album Three Chords and the Truth. Dexter's delicate but sturdy soprano has an operatic feel, and it turns out the Dexter is a classically trained musician (she played clarinet and violin before deciding that she wanted to sing).

Julie Dexter's background as a musician and her gravitation to jazz likely explains her ease with using her voice as an improvisational instrument on the title track and on "What Goes Around." Being distinct isn't always an advantage in an industry where the first thing people ask is ‘who does she sound like?' closely followed by ‘how can she be categorized?' However, Dexter seems quite content with the niche that she's carved out as an independent singer. And New Again gives voice to Dexter's confidence, comfort and competence. Recommended~By Howard Dukes