I was digging around tracks sampled on departure’s Graduation Demos (very good btw) and she did a remix of Jay=Z’s 4:44, a track I didn’t know (I hd long tuned out Jay before all the Bey/Becky drama) which samples Bristol group Hannah Williams and The Affirmations ‘Late Nights & Heartbreak’. It being 3am and having heartbreak, it fits like a glove…although the positions are reversed.
That also lead me to Hannah Williams’ albums, and the frankly breathtaking song ‘Sinner’ which is perfect for Pride month. I don’t know if Hannah is queer – the video for ‘Late Night….’ above shows her on/off love interest is a woman…but I feel this song deeply as a queer man, in this month. We are called sinners by hypocrites with blood on their hands… I really recommend listening to the original as well.
I am not surprised this is produced by Shawn Lee but I am surprised that she and this band aren’t bigger. I get really Sharon Jones vibes (she is much missed, RIP), and also Amy Winehouse but with a far bigger voice.
And not surprised they didn’t sing ‘Tablecloth’ in that church, but there’s the most amazing part in it – one of the most amazingly sung swearwords in music history that breaks your heart.
I mentioned Sharon Jones (of Dap-Kings fame) for good reason, because like her, this blend of soul and RnB has political clout and messages. Take Hannah Williams and the Affirmations ‘Aint Enough’, it’s basically the same side (for you and me) of one of the tracks that has never left my iPod – What If We All Stopped Paying Taxes? Anti-war, anti-propaganda, anti-lying politicians and the military-industrial complex. And since 2016, what has happened definitely aint enough.
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