Carmy Love: In The Morning

We rarely review singles but will make an exception for the impressive Carmy Love and Big AC Records, a London label specialising in contemporary soul.

Love launched her solo career in 2021, and has received airplay from UK radio (6 Music, BBC London and Soho Radio). Born and raised in North West London, Love had a rich musical upbringing, with an early grounding in gospel singing and work with Cool Million, PM Warson, Charles and House Gospel Choir as well as being an original member of urban street soul band New Street Adventure.

To date [December 2022], she’s released four singles on Big AC Records; these were made with the core team of Nick Corbin and Mitch Ayling (The Milk), and additional soul expertise provided by Billy Farr (guitar), Sahil Batra (piano and keyboards) and Ashley Hayden (bass) amongst others.

The debut single, “Thinkin’ About You”, is defiantly upbeat with a big brass sound and strong vocal influenced by the Crossover Soul period of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. This track became the flip side of her first physical release on 7” vinyl, the joyous “Rebel”, a song written by Love and which she regularly performed with New Street Adventure; the first run of the vinyl sold out as a pre-order, but it has been re-pressed on white vinyl – and is currently available.

Her latest singles are “Together Again” and In The Morning”. “Together Again” has a gloriously smooth vocal backed by a Bobby Womack groove, brass and strings. “In The Morning” is relentlessly propulsive with its confident vocal, driving bass and honking baritone sax, and has a compelling break to inspire some dance floor groove.

Love has recently been on stage as part of the Big AC Soul Revue alongside Abi Farrell, Emma Noble and Nick Corbin; a sense of performance and community translates to these studio tracks, which are a fine introduction to this memorable artist.

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