Strong Blood Records

It’s impossible to overstate the power, depth and beauty – in an old-school, steamy, smoky blues way – of Fourth Corner_, the debut album by Trixie Whitley. You’ll hear that in the gently, alluring cover track, but it’s evident throughout the masterpiece of blues, soul, funk and rock. In many ways, the songs’ power is mostly due to Whitley’s soaring, impassioned vocals. That’s not to say, of course, that the arrangements aren’t killer. Multi-instrumentalist Whitley is seemingly fearless in weaving violin, keys and more through some songs and then, turning gritty and raw on tracks including “Oh, the Joy.” Doubters that chalked up Whitley’s stellar work with Black Dub to leader Daniel Lanois’ expert hand are in for a surprise as Whitley soars.