Washington D.C. vocalist Sylvia St. James occupies a curious place in soul music history. Her catalogue is slim, yet this lone 1980 album has gradually acquired cult status amongst collectors drawn to the fertile ground between sophisticated soul and the smoother end of disco's twilight years. Backed by members of Twennynine and featuring arrangements from George Del Barrio, it drifts elegantly between styles whilst never sounding uncertain of itself. There are dancefloor moments in the supple groove of 'Let Love Groove Me' and the gleaming 'Black Diamond', while 'Ghetto Lament' and 'Motherland' reveal a more reflective side. Even the brief 'Almaz Interlude' feels purposeful. Four decades on, it remains an alluring snapshot of soul music at a moment of transition.
- A1 Can't Make You Mine
- A2 Better Things
- A3 Ghetto Lament
- A4 Let Love Groove Me
- B1 Motherland
- B2 Black Diamond
- B3 Magic Minstrel
- B4 So I Say To You
- B5 Almaz Interlude
