Album Review: ISH from Mad Love

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Album:  ISH
Artist:  Mad Love
Label:  Gladitude Records
Website:  https://soundcloud.com/kathleen-hollingsworth/tracks

R&B/soul meets cabaret jazz on Mad Love's latest release ISH.  Led by vocalist Kathleen Hollingsworth, Mad Love hones easy-listening melodies that hitch lounge room jazz with adult pop finesse.  Mad Love venture into flights of pleasing hues, crafting calming escapes and lithesome jaunts.  Joined by bassist Dave Captien and drummer Brent Follis, the trio's music shimmers, swings, and soothes keeping the listener entangled in its warm resonance.

The chattering beats elevating "Hey There, Rider" thrust a country-spun emission as the trio's contributions are augmented by the flapping gusts of guest bassist Ross Garlow and guitarist Dominic Castillo.  "Easy Rider" drifts into the funk-imbued moans of Wil Blades's organ, as Hollingsworth showcases a feisty edge in her vocal inflections, moving into the smooth soul glides of "Passing of the General," stacked in the ghostly rumbles of Hollingsworth's lightly sprayed keys and emotive vocals.  The western swing jazz grooves of "Candy Man" offer a new interpretation on the musical from the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, branching off into the R&B/soul trimmings fortifying "Wave the Sun Goodbye."

Mad Love whips up a confluence of jazz, western swing, R&B/soul, and country, making for a mixture that feels good on the senses.  The trio's kinship is palpable as they put together a multi-faceted assortment of music that is packed in melodious flights from start to end.

Musicians:
Kathleen Hollingsworth - vocals and keyboards
Brent Follis - drums
Dave Captien - bass
Wil Blades - organ on "Easy Rider"
Dominic Castillo - guitar on "Hey There, Rider"
Ross Garlow - bass on "Hey There, Rider

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