Fifth Nation is named after a Native American tribe and the band consists of Julia Richardson as singer/songwriter/guitarist & Music Read on drums. This duo is bringing a style all of their own here that is full of life. The two members are blending together so many different musical styles such as: jazz, blues, rock, soul, alternative and even hip-hop. The music on Flight is soulfully jazzy rock with a twist. The music is emotionally stirring while also being calm, cool and collect.
I picked up on Richardson’s impressive vocal performance right away as I listened to the record. Julia had a very powerful presence due to her voice that personally blew me away. Her vocals were definitely in charge as she electrified the listening audience. She also sang with much heart & conviction as I picked up on a sultry/sensual/seductive/spiritual side to Julia Richardson. This singer/songwriter could sing to a mood by really tapping into a particular emotion. She also added some extremely solid & crisp guitar playing along the way. Just as the talented Alicia Keys adds her catchy & memorable “New York” line on Jay Z’s “Empire State of Mind”, Julia R. is doing the same thing here. The element of voice & singing alone really plays a crucial part on Flight as Richardson takes the songs to another level vocally. This Julia Richardson is some artist and one to watch out for! Now, I can’t forget about Music Read who supplied the fresh beats for the entire project. Particularly on the title track, “Flight”, Read really seemed to shine at his drum set with a very flavorful, hip-hop beat. He really added a rock-solid flow to go along with Julia’s superb singing ability. And with a first name like Music, how can you really go wrong! These two compassionate members have joined forces here to create one powerful & distinct sound. What you have here is one non-stop flight straight to the top!
One of the central, overlying themes throughout the album is love. You get a very peaceful feeling along with a covering of warmth as you listen to Flight. These two musicians really play up the feelings card as they bring an overwhelming sense of well-being to the stands. Pure life energy is what Fifth Nation brings you without all that extra filling. This tag team makes it a point to be true to themselves as artistic human beings and also to be real to their fans/listeners. What you get in the end is sheer honesty with an overlap of devotion that is all put together beautifully by Julia and Music. For more on Fifth Nation and their new release, Flight, SKOPE out www.myspace.com/fifthnationmusic.
By Jimmy Rae (jrae@skopemag.com)
[Rating: 4.5/5]
