South Coast soulstress and Sofar Sounds regular Amba Tremain mixed R’n’B and jazzy soul on her brand new second single ‘Honestly’, an old school classic earworm of love, longing, and loss which showcases Tremain’s superb rich, soulful voice over shimmering guitar chords, echoey drums, and slow, grooving bass. It’s a perfect track to show off that timbre, the sparse instrumentation allowing plenty of space for Tremain’s vocal to sit front and centre, warm and powerful and wrapped around the music.
There’s obvious Motown influences in here – James Brown, Aretha, maybe a little Irma Franklin too, but there’s more contemporary parts too; Joss Stone, Amy Winehouse, Alicia Keys, or Beverly Knight. It’s sublime and beautiful, heartfelt and honest, and it bodes very well for Amba Tremain in 2021.
You can hear ‘Honestly’ on Spotify, and follow Amba Tremain on Facebook and Instagram.
Review by Alex Holmes