Posted on 05/15/2008
The quality of soul music in our current musical landscape has taken a nosedive with some minor glimpses of brilliant acts that seemingly appear out of nowhere. This instance, while not as frequent as the vapid hits that grace the radio waves of late, can place Stone Mecca’s excellent debut album First Contact amongst the short list of worthy soul music offerings of the year.

Helmed by producer/songwriter Tru James, the band is part of the vast Wu-Tang Clan empire, having appeared with the Clan as both a backing tour band and on several Wu-Tang related projects over time. After the brief intro, “Aliens,” things get started smoothly with the very funky “Come Home.” Vocalist Wendy Marie carries the song well with uplifting lyrics, urging the listeners to lose their fears and concerns and leave it all to the music. The following track, “Dream Maker,” is more somber as the pleading lyrics from vocalist Salakida are aimed at an apparent distant or elusive lover. The backing grove is no less soulful than the previous, but definitely a pleasant shift in mood early on. On the next track, the fantastic groove offered on “The Key” ramps up the mood with Tru James himself lending his vocal talent in a duet with Maezelle.

On the track, “A Walk,” singer Allen Anthony (formerly of Christion) provides possibly the strongest performance on the disc and the passionate overtones go over well. With the proper video treatment and a pitch to adult contemporary radio, Stone Mecca could gain a hit record of this track. On the mostly instrumental “Life Music,” Stone Mecca’s band gets to show off a bit with a song that would remind many of the big ensemble bands of 70s – another strong highlight for the LP. On the album’s closer, “In Love”, vocalist Salakida offers her dynamic vocal ability to the song – a good-bye letter of sorts seeking some manner of closure. This could prove to be the album’s best track as far as performance, production and lyrics. Stone Mecca has created a genuine soul record that should garner them more than just mere CD sales. In a fair world, music like this would be present all the time on the prime time rotation in various radio markets. This LP should be in early consideration for one of the year’s best R&B/Soul projects.

- D.L. Chandler