My World

My World is epic soul in the traditional sixties style, with a band of guitars, horns and organ. Fields is a soul-screamer in the tradition of greats like Bobby Womack or Wilson Pickett, and this album is all about his impassioned delivery, those raw melismas and moments of cracked-voice emotion. The gorgeous orchestrated ‘Ladies’ is the standout track here, showcasing Field’s emotive vocals and The Expressions’ quality soul licks. Yearning, raw, deep soul. 

A North Carolinian with an enthusiasm for James Brown and a gritty, booming voice that made those comparisons more than credible, Lee Fields’ already-excellent run in the 2000s hit a real stride with his first album for Truth & Soul. This is where his voice started showing off his best nuances — not just belting and screaming like the Godfather of Soul on the social-protest title cut and the starstruck come-ons of “Ladies,” but recalling the raspy warmth of Bobby Womack’s lover-man classics on “Do You Love Me (Like You Say You Do).” In the absence of a voice that resonant, the Expressions — another Murderer’s Row of session powerhouses under the guidance of Leon Michels — more than hold their own on ebullient instrumentals like “Last Ride” and “Expressions Theme.”