The vocals on
Sonia Dada's
...Barefootsoul... are a bit disarming. They are incredibly rich. It makes one almost automatically tune out what they are actually singing. For one, who wants to listen to lyrics when the sound of perfectly blended human voices is present? For another, put frankly, lush vocal music isn't usually known particularly for its lyrics. On
...Barefootsoul...,
Sonia Dada combines beautiful singing with an almost startling lyricism, at times recalling the impressionistic imagery of
Van Morrison. "Daisy," with its full complement of Dixieland horns, is sentimental brass band pop with a full-on horn arrangement. Other songs delve into a kind of flowing Americana that, oddly enough, recalls the sweet ballads of
Jerry Garcia and
Robert Hunter.That said, the glossy production makes it a bit tough to penetrate to the song's emotional core. ~ Jesse Jarnow