D'Influence - Good 4 We

D-Influence followed in the wake of the UK Soul explosion fronted by Soul II Soul in the early 90's. The Young Disciples, The Brand New Heavies, Galliano, Jamiroquai and D-Influence all forged ahead and established an alternative to the cookie-cutter "New Jack Swing" that could not be escaped in the early 90's. Oddly enough and almost a decade later the "neo soul" movement is here. One listen to this album and you will see where many of the so called "neo -soul" school took their cue.

The album is just classic. It has great songs, great string arrangements, great vocals and great instrumentation. Sarah Ann Webb's voice is similar to Sade's on this release. The first time I heard "Funny How Things Change" on the radio in '92 I thought it was Sade. There's great samples like the horns from Curtis Mayfield's "Eddie You Should Know Better" on "Sweetest Things". Drum rolls sampled from Parliament's "Do That Stuff". Even a Pac-Man video game sample is used as instrumentation on "Changes". There's a few downplayed hip hop samples dispersed throughout for texture. The instrumentals range from latin("Instantly") to dissected hip hop on ("The Classic")(beastie boys?).

Good 4 We is an album that is subtle and powerful. The album is rooted in funk and the lyrics are sometimes double edged between the socio-political and romatic but always emotional. Some psychodelic hippie ethos informs their sound as well as knods to 70's inspired soul. Their stripped down sound would mature into stronger, more full bodied songs on their follow- up "Prayer 4 Unity in 1995.

1 Good Lover
2 Journey
3 I'm The One
4 Funny (How Things Change)
5 Good 4 We
6 For You I Sing This Song
7 Instantly
8 No Illusions
9 Sweetest Things
10 Changes
11 Sign
12 The Classic

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