What in Your Heart Can Put You in a Trance - We Got a Lot of Love TDRCO-111
Amongst the impressive catalog from Portland’s Ten Dollar Recording Company, 2019 full-length 'We Got a Lot of Love' stands out with its gripping songwriting and versatile stylistic allure. The release comes from What in Your Heart Can Put You in a Trance, a project formed in 2011 by Mo Douglas and Mariya May, the duo who head the label. They co-produced the stellar We Got a Lot of Love alongside Prince Joely.
The album features May’s stirring vocals throughout. A strong climatic pull is evident throughout in her vocals' ability to shift seamlessly from suave and entrancing to more raucous heights. Ryan Massad’s vocals also emerge on five tracks, touting a psych-friendly falsetto that furthers the already-diverse sound on display.
Infusing psych-pop with folk, the peppy "It's All In It" grips immediately. A jumpy bass line and frolicking guitars complement a versatile vocal performance from May. The primary verses exude a more laid-back quality, building cohesively into vibrancy and melodic glee. “I Got You Singing” and “It’s All In It” consume as the album’s opening tracks, accessible and immersive in their enthusiastic meshing of rock, folk, and pop.
Later experimental forays, like the free-jazz conversing on “The Air Smells Fresh” and the breezily funky ‘70s nostalgia of “My Love (It's True), Pt. 2,” separate distinctively from the album’s initial sound, though succeeding similarly. Several tracks with a blues-fronted allure also stand out. The bluesy guitar bites within “You Got Our Hearts” tastefully complement the track’s dazed tone, the rhythm section fit for saloon-set galloping, rounding into a lovely organ-laden hook at the two-minute turn. “Eight Thousand Dollars For a Lunch” pursues a bluesy fervor with eclectic instrumentation. A steady R&B backbone accompanies flute, enveloping organs, and intoxicating vocals; May’s hypnotic lead and Prince Joely’s spirited backing vocal additives lead this fun romp of a track.
In its more sentimental spectrums, 'We Got a Lot of Love' charms with its themes of optimism, the clear byproduct of a labor of love. Heart-tugging folk-forward production and unifying vocal performances resonate alongside tender lyrical sentiments. With love and collective talent, 'We Got a Lot of Love' shows exemplary songwriting and impressive musicianship from What in Your Heart Can Put You in a Trance, successfully traversing from heartfelt folk and rollicking blues to bursts of atmospheric nostalgia. (Mike Mineo)
1. I Got You Singing
2. It's All In It
3. You Got Our Hearts
4. Strangers
5. We Got a Lot of Love
6. My Love (It's True), Pt. 1
7. This Will Be Our Year
8. Eight Thousand Dollars For a Lunch
9. A Posh Lush and a Dutch Letch
10. The Air Smells Fresh
11. My Love (It's True), Pt. 2
12. This Story's Gonna Go
Produced by Mo Douglas
Co-Producers: Prince Joely, Mariya May
Release Date: June 21, 2019