Naomi Shelton And The Gospel Queens — What Have You Done, My Brother?

What Have You Done, My Brother?

Daptone

Bianca Marcus (CHARTattack)

05/27/2009 1:51pm

Naomi Shelton has been performing for nearly 40 years, but this is her first full-length album. What Have You Done My Brother? showcases her classic gospel style — timeless, guileless and seemingly effortless — and is the culmination of her years spent singing in church and New York City soul clubs.

Shelton's voice goes from honey-smooth to gritty and back again. The harmonies of the '60s girl group-esque Gospel Queens affirm and provide a constant over which Shelton is free to improvise. Each track openly speaks of God, but the lyrics could arguably be seen as metaphorical and applicable to anyone.

The hisses and pops in the background only add to this album's authentic feel. There isn't much variation in instrumentation — the vocally driven record relies on a bare-bones core of bass, drums and organ strains — so the entire album sounds as though it could have been recorded in one session, or during one church service.

Single "What Have You Done?" is darker and provides some interest against the rest of the songs. The number of slow grooves heavily outweighs the number of get-up-and-dance tracks, which is a bit of a letdown from a group whose labelmates include perpetual motion machine Sharon Jones And The Dap-Kings.

If you're not entirely in the mood for an old-time gospel session, the repetition in both music and lyrics grows tiresome. Can I get a witness?

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