On the first EP from Britain’s Christian Gregory, the retro soul singer and multi-instrumentalist spends his short time making an indelible impression across four songs of elegant, soulful sounds. Though he was originally trained in classical music, Gregory’s love for jazz, blues and soul began when he stumbled across some Duke Ellington records in his formative years. Parlaying this and his many influences into his current sound, Gregory’s firm guitar work is complemented by a steady groove thanks to the well-executed rhythm section.
Recorded together with revered musician Michael Kiwanuka, Count On You is an organic listen using vintage equipment; much of the songs were done in one take and supplemented later with studio details. Gregory gets to use full range of his strong vocals and even gets playful on the guitar with the occasional interlude.
The EP starts with the title track “Count On You,” which is a blues and funk concoction where Gregory’s deep voice is soulful, bringing to mind ’70s funk legends like Curtis Mayfield or Bill Withers or even modern day Lenny Kravitz. “Won’t Get Nowhere” follows and is a slow-burning ballad where his falsetto proudly shines. It’s an intimate, romantic song, ideal for a quiet evening with your significant other. The third track, “E.Y.L.Y.L” (Everything You Love You Lose), picks up the pace into mid-tempo waters and gets yours hands clapping and fingers snapping to the infectious, laid-back instrumentation and cynical yet often true wordplay.
Closing out the EP is “Nothing Matters,” where back up vocals and sax complement the ever so soothing, extremely authentic, soulful rock ‘n’ roll.
The soul revival is slowly creeping into the mainstream, and if this easily enjoyable EP is any indication, a future LP from Christian Gregory could easily help him propel himself and his genre of choice into a much broader audience.
