Nostalgia Delivered With A Sweet Contemporary Bite

The commercial success of the Puppini Sisters, Caro Emerald and Imelda May over the last decade and a half has shown that there is still a real mainstream appeal for retro jazz vibes. An act who have been working the live circuit for a similar amount of time is Davina and the Vagabonds, yet despite praise from the likes of Jools Holland and Rolling Stone, they are a group who have mainly stayed under the commercial radar. All that is set to change with the arrival of their latest album, 'Sugar Drops'.

With the soul of Amy Winehouse married to the timeless writing of Imelda May, Davina Lozier is destined to make your heart melt and break simultaneously. While the material contained within 'Sugar Drops' does not quite reach the peak periods of either of the aforementioned artists, it certainly has the potential.

Having already released several live recordings, 'Sugar Drops' sees the group arrive at their studio debut with a more commercial edge already built into their sound. While this works on the lead single 'Little Miss Moonshine', there are moments like the forgettable 'I Can't Believe I Let You Go' that feel like they are a long-forgotten album track from Paloma Faith's debut release.

However, an album that contains the gems 'Bone Collector', 'Devil Horns' and 'Deep End' is one that needs to be celebrated.

'Sugar Drops' is an album of highs and lows, but one that has more of the former.

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