SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: LEE FIELDS – SENTIMENTAL FOOL

Lee Fields
Sentimental Fool
Daptone Records

This is soul singing legend Lee Fields’ first new album in three years, and also his debut album for Daptone Records, though he has had 45s on the label before. It is also a strong, no-nonsense soul set – this is real soul singing, not retro- or nu-soul. Lend an ear to “I Should Have Let You Be” with its wonderful arrangements, or listen to the way he wrings the emotion out of “Ordinary Lives”, like many of the tracks on this set a medium- to slow- tempo’ed number. It’s a southern-styled album too, with echoes of Otis Redding – try “Just Give Me Your Time”, and especially “What Did I Do?” There are also shades here of Sam Cooke (listen closely near to the end of the title track); maybe a couple of Al other top-notch deep singers from Memphis or Muscle Shoals too. There’s even a blues reference on “Two Jobs”. There’s not much sign of James Brown on this release though, despite Fields’ moniker of “Little JB” many years back. The ballad “Extraordinary Man”’ reveals Fields’ grounding in gospel music and makes for a very impressive closing number; it also describes Fields quite accurately.

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