Sammy Rae and The Friends’ EP The Good Life is one of my favorites because of its jazzy sound, instrumentation, and the lead singer’s ability to layer her voice to create super satisfying harmonies.
In the first song on the EP, “The Feeling” you hear the lead vocalist begin a-cappella, with no backing instruments. Echo is added to the singers voice in post production which creates a big and engulfing sound. After the first few measures, more harmonies come in, also added in post production because the vocalist is singing harmonies on top of her own melody line (layered vocals). The first song has a very up-beat and jazzy tone that is achieved with not only the layered vocals and “scatting” but the saxophone and other instruments. This same technique and instrumentation is utilized throughout the rest of the songs on the EP.
In the third song “Flesh & Bones,” the harmonies sound far away and echo-y, which creates a very mysterious and edgy sound, which is different from the very upbeat sound of “The Feeling.” I love how dynamic this artist is able to make the EP even though she has a very unique sound, she still is able to use echo and layering to have versatility in the uniqueness.
“Talk it up” is the fourth song on the EP and my favorite. The intro with horns and guitar set such a great mood, which is lively and fun. The vocalist shows off her range as well as vocal agility with scatting that is used by jazz artists. She also, again, uses her own vocals to create background vocals, which sound amazing and have great blend. The mixing of this whole EP perfect and envelopes the listener in a very unique sound that only good jazz can achieve.