Zoot suit-wearing monster of soul Mojo Juju is back for a second record that takes the raw-blues of her debut and fuses it with contemporary pop and R&B. With one foot in the past and another in the present, Seeing Red / Feeling Blue pairs powerful hooks with modern production, letting old school vibes co-exist with hip hop beats.
Producer Ptero Stylus (Diafrix, Mantra) has helped glue it all together, nailing a sound that echoes Mark Ronson’s collaborations with Amy Winehouse. He’s dipped into the wealth of talent on the HopeStreet Recordings roster, with members of The Cactus Chanel and The Putbacks laying down infectiously gritty horn lines throughout. Tracks like A Heart Is Not A Yo-Yo and Sugarcoated soar to another level when the brass chimes in, bringing Juju’s choruses home strong.
With If You Wanna Stay and They Come & They Go, it’s clear that Juju has eyes for the dance floor, trying on disco grooves and foot-stomping glam. This sort of genre-hopping becomes a bit disorientating at times, but Juju’s strong, controlled voice is enough to keep the experience constant. As the name suggests, Seeing Red / Feeling Blue is as much about fiery floor fillers as it is tender introspective forays. Lately (I’m Fine) is, quite simply, a strikingly beautiful song. Nothing more than heartfelt gospel piano and Juju’s voice is needed to raise hairs.
Mojo Juju has crafted a great collection of songs that are arguably more accessible than anything she’s done before. Yet, while she’s cleaned up the edges up a little, the core of the album runs hot with the fiery soul she’s renowned for.
BY JAMES DI FABRIZIO
