R&B singers Nicole Wray and Terri Walker both had promising starts to their careers more than ten years ago. Wray came up on the Virginia coast under the wing of mentor . Walker, a Londoner, was classically trained yet released her debut on a Def Jam subsidiary. Both enjoyed early critical success but by decade's end struggled to find a wide audience. Instead, they found each other.
Longtime fans of Wray or Walker may not instantly recognize them: In their new work as Lady they've traded in slick, hip-hop influenced R&B styles for a decidedly throwback feel. Working with the house band from New York's Truth & Soul Records, Lady nails that magic formula of sweet vocal stylings anchored by the heavy thump and growl of a crack rhythm section. It's an update on the classic sound of early 1970s Memphis soul: part Sunday-morning glory, part Saturday-night slow grind.
Lady's break from the past lies in the duo's tag-team vocals. Walker's more robust and throaty power contrasts with the subtle, raspy edge of Wray's voice. Together, they create a beguiling blend of overlapping harmonies and attitudes.
We've become so conditioned to hearing solitary pop and soul divas that the idea of two women sharing a mic feels more surprising than it probably should. Still, the partnership between Nicole Wray and Terri Walker provides a real joy, the way their voices weave under and atop one another. As a team, the ladies of Lady have added up to something singular.
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