Album Review: Let Go from Acute Inflections

Album:  Let Go
Artist:  Acute Inflection
Label:  Self-Released
Website:  www.acuteinflections.com

Trained as a classical vocalist, Elasea Douglas' soulful timbres are supported by upright bassist Sadiki Pierre.  Together, they form Acute Inflections, a jazz duet whose latest release Let Go features reimaginations of an assortment of classic jazz and pop tunes, alongside a slew of original material written by the duet.  Their offering stirs uplifting sensations in the listener, targeting sweet spots and having a succor effect on their audience.

The title track is an original tune that demonstrates the feminine strength and soulful beauty of Douglas' resonance with the calm, percussive strokes of Pierre's bass enhancing the melodic curves along the track.  Douglas displays a vocal style that is truly her own, truly warm and inviting with a human touch.  The duet's reworking of Billie Eilish's "Everything I Wanted" coalesces soul and blues with folk and acoustic pop, making for a stimulating listening experience.

Slowing to a spiritual jaunt along Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come," the mood turns contemplative as the bluesy intonations of Douglas' register stokes an easy, leisurely simmer.  Transitioning to Nat King Cole's popular hit "Nature Boy," the duet boosts the track with a seductive sway in their performance while their original tune "Only Together" is spiced with a funky pump in the rhythmic beats of Pierre's bass as Douglas inspires, "In times like these / We need each other / Love creates strength / But only together / Remember, we're sisters and brothers / And we will rise but only together."  The lyrics speak to listeners on a metaphysical plane that audiences will relate to songwriters who have touched people profoundly, including the likes of John Lennon and Stevie Wonder.

The sparse layering of Douglas' vocals with Pierre's bass on Andra Day's "Rise Up" puts emphasis on the lyrics, kindling the power of the words as Douglas arouses an unrelenting soul, "I'll rise up / And I'll do it a thousand times again / And I'll rise up / High like the waves / I'll rise up / In spite of the ache / I'll rise up / And I'll do it a thousand times again / For you."  Moving into a lighter mood with Louis Armstrong's signature tune "What A Wonderful World," the duet's reworking of the melody fodders the buoyant aesthetics.

The duet's fifth release Let Go delivers radiant performances that are instantly enjoyable.  Melodic and fluid, their recording shows Douglas and Pierre to be a pair made for each other.  Pierre's instincts to know how to shroud Douglas' vocals in sheer beauty, and Douglas' instincts to know how to deliver a lyric, projects a stimulating touch.

Musicians:
Elasea Douglas – Vocalist
Sadiki Pierre – Bassist