Get Yourself Some Happy!
Old Mill Road, 2021
8/10
Listen to Get Yourself Some Happy!
A Tony and Daytime Emmy winner, Lillias White is a woman with many talents, as this first solo album certainly proves with its timeless rock’n’roll approach that touches on Motown, blues and soul in her Broadway influenced delivery.
“When You Wish Upon A Star” starts the listen with White’s powerful and soulful pipes in the company of warm keys and cinematic strings, and “Accentuate The Positive” follows with finger snapping fun that benefits from peppy drums and plenty of Motown flavor.
Closer to the middle, “Put On A Happy Face” puts a very adventurous and animated twist on a classic, while “The Twist” recruits wild keys and swift drumming that retains the infectious spirit of the original, and the bluesy guitars certainly won’t go unnoticed, too. “Yes”, one of the album’s best, is then textured superbly with keys, strings, guitars, drums, and, of course, White’s stunning pipes guiding the melodic and upbeat climate.
Near the end, the soaring “Make Someone Happy” mixes calmer moments of beauty with full bouts of expressive and loud singing, and “Get Happy” exits the listen with gentle piano amid stunning vocal work that touches on gospel in its powerful finish.
With more than a third of songs having the word ‘happy’ in them, White knows how to elevate a mood, and her occasional moments of orchestral and tropical sounds help make this a very diverse and uniquely charming debut.
Travels well with: Lisa St. Lou- Ain’t No Good Man; Kristin Callahan- Lost In A Dream