Marks’ voice pulls these somewhat disparate threads together with a mix of the aforementioned Aretha Franklin (especially evident in the churchy “Deliver Me” with its gospel-backing female vocalists), and other female icons like Etta James and Mavis Staples. The deeper blues of “River” ( River come take my body, take my soul) ratchets up the tension as Phipps’ harmonica takes cues from the great bluesman, Charlie Musselwhite. She goes Sam Cooke-styled soul/blues (her description) for “The Good Life” celebrating the trials of women who came before, clearing the path for her to travel. The sound crosses barriers that find her wading in the Southern swampy gospel of “The Other Side” to the Aretha-inflected soul ballad “Peace of Mind” and the acoustic zippy church rave-up “Trouble,” the latter a tribute to the civil rights movement, quoting congressman John Lewis’ “Good Trouble” motto. Marks and her producers/band members, Steve Wyreman and Justin Phipps (they also co-wrote the songs with her), have captured the spit and spirit largely missing from Marks’ older work in eleven tautly crafted tracks.
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