For once the title says it all. ‘Force of nature’, you’ve got that right. Sari Schorr is one of those rare artists who combine genuine talent and an effervescent nature that makes you truly believe that whatever she sets her mind to, it can be achieved. This first record, whilst no picnic to make, does not dwell on its own troubled inception, instead Sari focuses on the world around her and, whilst it may be teeming with trouble, it is her view that by bringing it out into the open, something positive can still be made. All of these things make ‘force of nature’ a thrilling, riveting listen and this, coupled with Mike Vernon’s raw, yet perfectly focused production job, makes for one of the albums of the year.
The album does not so much slide into view as explode with Innes Sibun hitting us with a blazing solo before Sari even makes her entrance. When she does, it’s like a blazing beam of light shining out form the stage. Her voice is worn and full of character and one is instantly reminded of Tina Turner at the peak of her considerable powers. Worn, Sari’s voice may be, but it is also tuneful and beautifully nuanced as shown by the shift from the soulful verse to the soaring chorus, and then Innes is back with his fingers dancing lightly over the fretboard and Sari’s happy to let him take centre stage. Tackling a difficult topic, ‘Aunt Hazel’ draws the listener into the dark, debilitating world of heroin addiction. Rather than adopt a patronising, ‘drugs are bad’ posture, Sari intelligently weaves a narrative around the topic, giving the drug itself a villainous personality that is given life by Innes’ scratchy guitar riffs and Sari’s magnificent performance. Heading off into yet darker territory, ‘Damn the reason’ details domestic abuse in so sensitive and so poignant a manner that it damn near breaks the heart. Although Sari quite rightly is reticent to name names and point fingers, the difficulty she had in trying to make this record with another producer is well documented and ‘Cat and mouse’ covers those issues, but with a spring in its step that speaks of Sari’s relief rather than the bitterness and regret that you might expect. It is this indomitable spirit that will keep you coming back to this album and it’s impossible to come away from a song like ‘cat and mouse’ without sharing in Sari’s joy and love of life. It’s hard to imagine anyone not being familiar with Lead Belly’s ‘Black Betty’, even if only as a result of the Ram Jam version, but Sari takes the song and, in her hands, it achieves a whole new level of sophisticated. Recast as a slow, chain-gang epic it becomes an ode to the perils of slavery and the music evokes dusty images of a pre-Civil War South in which human beings toil in a hell of their own sweat and misery simply because of the colour of their skin. Covers, particularly of well-known songs, are a precarious thing, but Sari paces the piece perfectly and, in drawing her own interpretation of the lyrics, makes the song entirely her own. The Engine Room, meanwhile, match her every step of the way and it’s easy to see why this epic performance was chosen as a single. The first side draws to a close with the sweet solo of ‘Work no more’ dispersing the dense atmosphere of ‘Black Betty’ like so much smoke on the breeze, and the lighter touch offered here gives the listener to draw much needed breath.
Kicking off with the sort of smooth, smoky blues that always brings to mind and Blues Brothers, ‘Demolition man’ has an attitude-packed vocal from Sari and one hell of a swing to it. This is the blues at its best and The Engine Room provide the smoke to Sari’s fire, and this will undoubtedly cook live. Keeping the smooth vibe in place, ‘Oklahoma’ slinks into view as Sari adopts a sultrier tone. Warm and inviting, ‘Oklahoma’ is the sound of a slightly down-at-heel, but inviting bar and it draws you effortlessly in. Rather more theatrical, ‘Letting go’ has the feel of the greatest James Bond theme never recorded and Sari’s seductive vocal recalls Sheryl Crow’s underrated ‘tomorrow never dies’. Seductive is also a word that sums up ‘Kiss me’, before we land upon ‘Stop! In the name of love’. A cover that no one could see working apart from Mike Vernon (even Sari had serious doubts), what should have been a disaster turns out to be a triumph and the track is delivered with a fire that roars from the speakers. The album concludes with the quiet, jazz-infused beauty of ‘Ordinary life’ which sees Sari in an unexpectedly vulnerable frame of mind and the result is a quietly intimate song that brings the album gently to a close.
‘Force of nature’ is one of those fabulous records full of depth and nuance that you just want to listen to over and again. There’s Mike Vernon’s fabulous production work, of course, and the Engine Room simply cook, but, at the heart of it all, there’s Sari herself, whose vibrant personality leaps directly out of the recordings. It’s simply stunning listening to her tear into these songs, grabbing every opportunity that life offers with both hands and taking the listener very much along for the ride. This is soulful, life-affirming blues at its best and reviewing it was a pleasure from start to finish. 9
