Road to Freedom by Young Disciples
On their impressive debut Road to Freedom, the fiercely political Young Disciples offer muscular funk garnished with jazz, hip-hop and R&B flourishes. The majority of vocals are handled by Carleen Anderson, whose low, smoky voice at times brings to mind the likes of Chaka Khan, Anita Baker and Oleta Adams. The production is clever and unpredictable; gospel organs open "Get Yourself Together" and then fade into the oncoming beats, while airy guitars introduce "Talkin' What I Feel" before pulling a similar about-face when confronted with some surging hip-hop rhythms.
