LaVette! is a studio album by Bettye LaVette, released through Jay-Vee Records on July 16, 2023. The album consists of cover versions of songs written by American musician singer-songwriter Randall Bramblett, whom LaVette called "the best writer that I have heard in the last 30 years". It was produced by Steve Jordan and includes collaborations with Pedrito Martinez, Steve Winwood, Anthony Hamilton, Ray Parker Jr., Charles Hodges, John Mayer and Jon Batiste. LaVette embarked on a tour in mid-2023 in support of the album.[1]
| LaVette! | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 16, 2023 | |||
| Length | 54:06 | |||
| Label | Jay-Vee | |||
| Producer | Steve Jordan | |||
| Bettye LaVette chronology | ||||
| ||||
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.2/10[2] |
| Metacritic | 84/100[3] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| American Songwriter |   [4] |
| The Guardian | [5] |
| The Observer | [6] |
| Pitchfork | 7.7/10[7] |
LaVette! received a score of 84 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on eight critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception.[3] Stephen M. Deusner called it LaVette's "loosest and most daring album in years, an affectionate tribute to an underappreciated figure that could easily be renamed Bramblett! in LaVette's hands" and felt that Bramblett "emerges as a deft stylist who mixes various strains of Southern music with slyly evocative turns of phrase, self-denigrating humor, and big questions about existence and spirituality".[7] Uncut magazine remarked that "LaVette remains at the peak of her considerable powers at the age of 77".[3]
Reviewing the album for The Guardian, Stevie Chick stated that although she is backed by "stellar musos", LaVette is the "true focus" as "she has trodden these paths of heartbreak enough times to roll her damned eyes, and you can hear that in her seasoned rasp".[5] Hal Horowitz of American Songwriter felt that LaVette "takes these obscure selections, and like her one-time contemporary, Aretha Franklin, makes them her own" as she "takes Bramblett's often oblique, sometimes stream of consciousness, always carefully crafted lyrics and filters them through her soul-drenched pipes".[4] Neil Spencer of The Observer commented that LaVette "continues her renaissance with an album of songs that play to her considerable strengths".[6]
Jim Hynes of Glide Magazine called Jordan's production "eminently funky", which "works well for a while but begins to wear thin, rescued in the latter half by tracks such as 'Concrete Mind', 'Not Gonna Waste My Love' and the superb closer 'It's Alright', which do the best job of depicting LaVette's endearing, pour-it-all-out and leave-nothing-on-the-floor-vocals".[8]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Randall Bramblett
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "See Through Me" (featuring Pedrito Martinez) | 3:48 |
| 2. | "Don't Get Me Started" (featuring Steve Winwood) | 5:11 |
| 3. | "Lazy (And I Know It)" | 5:17 |
| 4. | "Sooner or Later" (featuring Anthony Hamilton, Ray Parker Jr. and Charles Hodges) | 5:03 |
| 5. | "Plan B" | 3:43 |
| 6. | "Concrete Mind" | 4:13 |
| 7. | "In the Meantime" (featuring John Mayer) | 4:31 |
| 8. | "Mess About It" (featuring Ray Parker Jr. and Jon Batiste) | 5:48 |
| 9. | "Hard to Be a Human" | 4:40 |
| 10. | "I'm Not Gonna Waste My Love" | 4:57 |
| 11. | "It's Alright" | 6:55 |
| Total length: | 54:06 | |
Charts
edit| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK R&B Albums (OCC)[9] | 13 |
References
edit- ^ Madarang, Charisma (March 29, 2023). "Bettye LaVette Has No 'Plan B' for Self-Titled New Album". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ^ "LaVette! by Bettye Lavette". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
- ^ a b c "LaVette! by Bettye LaVette Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
- ^ a b Horowitz, Hal (June 13, 2023). "Review: Soul Icon Bettye LaVette Uncovers Gems From Randall Bramblett's Catalog in the Stirring LaVette!". American Songwriter. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ^ a b Chick, Stevie (June 16, 2023). "Bettye LaVette: LaVette! review – a formidable soul survivor". The Guardian. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ^ a b Spencer, Neil (June 18, 2023). "Bettye Lavette: Lavette! review – more heart-on-sleeve power from the soul veteran". The Observer. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ^ a b Deusner, Stephen M. (June 21, 2023). "Bettye LaVette: LaVette! Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ^ Hynes, Jim (June 13, 2023). "Bettye LaVette Teams With Steve Jordan For Randall Bramblett Covers On LaVette! (Album Review)". Glide Magazine. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
- ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 24, 2023.