Move over Joss Stone and Amy Winehouse – Alice Russel is the newest female powerhouse to hail from GB and she may be the fiercest yet. After a listen through her newest album, Pot of Gold, it’s easy to see why Alice Russell is blowin’ up and teaming with well respected company like The Roots & De La Soul.

Pot of Gold dishes a vintage sound more closely related to Motown than in contemporary England. However, Russell’s Aretha-esque delivery of her soul & gospel influenced sound, overtop elegantly fundamental background sounds grab you and don’t let go.

From the first track, Turn and Run, Alice’s soulful delivery brings her powerful & unique voice to the forefront. Featuring a 70s Philly sound delicious enough to make MFSB’s mouth water, it’s a hell of a way to start an album. Pot of Gold showcases Alice’s range from the superbly simple soulful songs with fundamental arrangements to the more elaborate groove of Let Us Be Lovin with synthesizers backing up her gifted pipes. She also shows her funkier side on the cut, Living the Life of a Dreamer.

Universe, features a jazz flute intro to the likes of Jethro Tull that would make Ron Burgundy proud. Alice Russel steps outside of the glass box of emotion with this gleaming track, making it evident that she is kind of a big deal. And if they don’t, people should know her.

Alice rounds out the album with the tracks Hesitate and Crazy. By channeling her inner-Curtis Mayfield, Alice kills it with just a straightforward delivery on Hesitate. You can almost see her in a crowded, smoky club as the audience reciprocates with timely claps… hes-i-tate. But don’t sleep on her cover of Crazy with her superb, soulful and jazzy a cappela version of the Gnarles Barkley hit.

Tags: Music, Indie, Alice Russell, Pot of Gold, UK, Mowtown