Amy Black rediscovered the joy of singing relatively late in life—at the age of 35—but she reverts to some storied influences when it comes to her new LP. Born from an earlier EP recorded at Muscle Shoals’ legendary FAME Studios—home to some of the most celebrated sounds in all of Americana—The Muscle Shoals Sessions features some of the greatest blues and R&B songs of the past 50 years positioned among Black’s similar-sounding compositions. While many choices are all too familiar, such as “Bring It on Home,” “You Better Move On” and “Uptight, Good Man,” the confidence she shows in pitting her versions against the indelible originals is both admirable and assured. To her credit, Black puts her stamp on the material without attempting to alter any templates. She effectively
replicates the Stones’ arrangement of the traditional “You Gotta Move” and the swampy style of Dylan’s pseudo-gospel standard “Gotta Serve Somebody.” However, it’s her own delivery that matters most—a blend of sultry desire, ardent passion and mournful deliberation, and a sound that’s both tough and tender, mixing swagger with sway. Rather than feel intimidated by the task, Black opts instead to bask in the beauty.