To say The Womack Sisters descend from musical royalty doesn’t quite cover it, given they’re the granddaughters of soul icon Sam Cooke, the daughters of hitmaking duo Womack & Womack and the nieces of R&B legend Bobby Womack. But pedigree aside, no one handed BG, Zeimani and Kucha the keys to the studio and immediate acclaim; if anything, they were met with resistance when several dispiriting conversations with industry pros and label folks indicated no interest in the soul they wanted to make. “Chauffeur”, sung from the perspective of a down-on-her-luck driver for hire, is a direct nod to this period, which included a brief dalliance with ride sharing while they struggled as musicians in Los Angeles. Eventually, they met their match in Daptone Records—home to Sharon Jones, Charles Bradley and other revered modern-day soul talents—and Bosco Mann, the label’s co-founder and leader of its in-house band, The Dap-Kings. Together, they found kismet in powerful vocal runs and robust, brassy arrangements, from languid ballads (“Monster”, “I Just Don’t Want You (To Say Goodbye)”) to memorable grooves (“All Around”, “Laughter and Tears”). Our Favourite Track: The sisters’ pristine harmonies lay the bedrock for each song, but album closer “My Sisters and Me” is a standout for its simplicity and their dexterity with dynamics.