Review by Heath Andrews, ReviewYou.com
Kelly Moneymaker and In the Black
Race Against the Sky
Reviewed by Andrew Greenhalgh
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
After being a part of the popular ‘90s pop trio, Expose’ during its heyday, Kelly Moneymaker has carved her own path by writing songs for television, appearing alongside legendary artists on stage such as Todd Rundgren, Meatloaf, Stevie Wonder and Ringo Starr, and pursuing her own career as a solo artist. Moneymaker’s latest album, Race Against The Sky is a far cry from her days in Expose’. Moneymaker has put together a slamming, rocking blues/rock album that has some of the most soulful singing this side of Aretha Franklin.
Indeed, Moneymaker’s singing is one of the strongest parts about the album. From the first note to the last, she belts out everything with forceful authority. Without exaggeration, Moneymaker is an incredibly powerful vocalist; her full-throated gusto is just as effective in her impassioned cries for love as it is in her moments of emotionally vulnerability. Naturally, it helps that In The Black is an equally talented and powerful band, comprised of Gabriel Moses and Bruce Watson on guitar, Herman Matthews on drums, Lenny Castro playing percussion, keyboardist Kim Bullard, and bassist Michael Mennell. Moneymaker’s deep, resonant tone packs a wallop, and everyone else has to play accordingly.
The blues elements at work can be heard more clearly on the opening track, “Swampy Things.” Moneymaker sings a portrait of a southern bayou at its down and dirtiest; voodoo, hoodoo, catfish, and swampy things in general, set the mood. While Moneymaker is setting this up, her guitarists grind and slide away through notes that are as raw and bluesy as they get. Of course, Matthews stomps his way through the track, but this time in a more restrained fashion. He doesn’t overplay anything here as he just keeps that steady blues beat that all the instrumentation revolves around.
There’s a softer side to Moneymaker as well; she takes the time to belt out some slower songs, “Hello Beauty” and “Fall In Love” amongst them. While neither of them are necessarily less forceful than the rest of the album they do have a more relaxed and emotional sound. The latter of the two tracks almost takes on a mournful tone from the guitars, though this is accented by the soft keyboards in the backing track. “Hello Beauty” on the other hand is a more uplifting number that features a distinct, chiming guitar sound, not used elsewhere on the album. Not only do they represent a good change of pace for the record as a whole, but they’re yet another example of the versatility of Moneymaker.
The album closes with the strongest song, “Bang A Drum.” Fittingly enough, it does start with the snap of a drum, but the more identifying feature is the exotic nature of Moneymaker’s singing. The song itself draws off of a kind of Native American vibe, placing emphasis on passing down knowledge, love, and stories. The arrangement doesn’t start out all that differently from most of the other tracks, but as the song progresses it builds up remarkably and culminates in a veritable symphony of guitars, drums, and singing.
Race Against The Sky is a major accomplishment for Kelly Moneymaker. As opposed to her work for television scores and soundtracks, this is a cohesive collection of powerful blues-rock that has her in incredible voice, backed by an incredible band. This is far removed from the days of Expose’ and represents a stunning achievement in musical growth and ability. Race Against The Sky is an album that can easily be heralded as much as it can be enjoyed.
Artist: Kelly Moneymaker
Album: Race Against The Sky
Review by: Heath Andrews
Rating 5 Stars (out of 5)
