Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings – Give The People What They Want

Give The People What They Want is less than an album title and more of a mission statement. Since unleashing Dip Dappin’ With Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings on an unsuspecting public in 2002, the band and their inimitable front woman have captivated audiences and critics alike both with their live show and over the course of five albums, various 7” releases and numerous guest appearances. Along the way they’ve provided many with a gateway to discover the golden era of soul and funk records that their music draws from and pays homage to.

There is little room for slack in the Dap Kings’ hit production line these days: 12 years of hard touring has seen them polish, hone and develop their sound to make the most of each individual’s talents. Daptone founder Gabriel ‘Bosco Mann’ Roth once again is instrumental in forming the warm signature ‘Daptone Sound’ both in the studio and with his propulsive basslines, bringing together the snapping snares of Homer Steinweiss, Gabriel Roth’s bass lines, Neal Sugarman and his horn section, the effortlessly funky guitar lines of Binky Griptite and Joe Crispiano, and of course the indomitable force that is Sharon Jones herself, with a voice that combines toughness and raw soul power, velvety tenderness and a self-confident swagger. All these elements are combined here into ten stylistically varied tracks in a little over half an hour, each of which could easily be a single.

The album begins with the stomping beat and Motown guitar riff of “Retreat!”, the first track to be released from the record back in May last year. The track builds and finally explodes with crashing snares and cymbals, harmonies courtesy of The Dapettes and wailing Stax like horns as a defiant and fiery Jones warns against getting on her wrong side: “What a fool you’d be to take me on!” she exclaims, brimming with the righteous indignation of a woman scorned. The Dapettes play a key role again on “Stranger to My Happiness”, which builds around a baritone sax hook and an insistent groove that pops in the verses before the chorus allows Jones to unleash the rawer side of her vocal range. “You’ll Be Lonely” struts around a churning funk riff and blaring horns while Jones and the Dapettes once again combine to chide an errant lover. Meanwhile “Now I See” pairs a wiry guitar line and walking bass with crisp snare hits and heads straight to the dancefloor while Jones’ voice takes centre stage, raw and crackling with energy and emotion. Jones delivers heartbreak and vulnerability as well as she does empowerment and inner strength, and all come into play when things slow down for the girl-group structures of “Making Up and Breaking Up (and Making Up and Breaking Up Over Again)” and the swaying “Get Up and Get Out”. Album closer “Slow Down Love” shifts direction again, and gives Jones an opportunity to play things smooth and sultry over a minimal, laid back groove, imploring her lover to let his lips, rather than his words, do the talking.

The real highlight of the set is the zippy “People Don’t Get What They Deserve”, a headlong canter of a song whose tightly wound guitar lines and sharp horn bursts power its message of the injustice of inequality. The track serves as a microcosm of the album as a whole and perfectly incapsulates what Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings have been working towards all these years: the power and passion of Jones’ vocals are allowed to shine, while The Dap Kings showcase their chops and ably demonstrate the powerhouse soul and R&B machine they have become.

Originally scheduled for release in August 2013, the album and related tours were put on hold to allow Jones to undergo treatment for bile-duct cancer, a treatment she seems to have undertaken with the same toughness and strength of character that are evident across her recorded work. Today thankfully finds Jones on the road to recovery and ready to step, strut and shimmy her way back into the spotlight, ready to Give The People What They REALLY want: the soul sounds of Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings, and the best album of their career thus far.