Candy Dulfer’s album Together was released on April 14th. If you have not heard the entire album, it will be worth your while to take the 67 minutes to experience the feeling.
In short, this album is a masterclass on funk. Dulfer shows precisely how an artist can take the style of the current musical landscape, and incorporate it with their signature sound. Starting with her first album, Saxuality in 1990, Dulfer has always pushed the envelope, and this is evident as you listen to her offerings.
Together is a mostly uptempo affair, balanced with a couple of slow jams to round it out.
Candy Dulfer Together Album Review
How It’s Done leads off the album. At first listen, it feels like you just stepped into a Prince tribute concert. FYI: Dulfer played with Prince on the Musicology live tour, and she also appeared in the Partyman video. How It’s Done has the funky bass, the horns….and the vocals. Several songs on this album feature vocals, and I am definitely not mad at that.
The title track is up next. Together is an electro funk jam that features Ivan Peroti. Ivan is a singer from Holland, and he has appeared on the Voice of Holland talent show. On a related note, Peroti provides the vocals on one of my favorite EDM songs. Speed Up by Funkerman.
Check out a live version of the track:
Dulfer drops back to a more funky vibe with the infectious Show Your ID. This is an apt title, because the people under 21 may not be able to handle this much funk.
Age is up next, and it is an uptempo vocal track that will rival all of the current EDM tracks. There are so many reasons to like this track, between the bridge, the vocoder and the harmonies, it is just so hard to choose one. Luckily, we don’t have to.
After about 20 minutes of uptempo songs, we get our first slow jam. Sincerity is an R&B flavored affair, and the track feels almost like a guilty pleasure. Show Your ID, Age, and Sincerity were co-written by Monique Bakker and Ulco Bed. They are also members of the group Candy Dulfer Funky Stuff.
We pick up the pace again with a couple of duets. After Tonight features vocalist Rico Greene, and Out of Time (for P) once again features Ivan Peroti. Who says good duets need to be slow songs?
What U Do (When The Music Hits) is a track that Candy and her band have been jammin’ for a few years now. I am glad she included it on the album. Below I have both the album version and a live version from 2013.
Caution – If you are allergic to uptempo party music, DO NOT PUSH PLAY!
Promises just might be the best song on the album. It is a light, feel-good vocal track with smooth vocals and an even smoother sax solo. L.O.V.E. Intro is up next. I want to say that it is an interlude, but at 2:49, it is a little long to be an interlude. Nevertheless, it is a nice slow jam. It once again features Ivan Peroti. Hold Up is another uptempo winner. The funk track features Chance Howard. Chance is a talented keyboardist, and he currently is a member of Candy’s band. He has also played with Prince, The Time, and Alexander O’Neal.
So Close is a track that has been stuck on repeat on my computer. It is one of those mellow house songs that goes perfectly in a lounge at the beginning of the night. The song clocks in at 4:24, but honestly I could use another two minutes. I think we can say….REMIX!
D.I.S.C.O. is up next, and with a title like that, you know the groove has a modern 70’s groove. L.O.V.E. Outro is next, and this short interlude signifies that the album is coming to an end. The project concludes with I Cannot Believe. Dulfer keeps up the energy with this vocal dance track, and with the risk of sounding like a broken record, it is another feel-good song.
Together is an album that has a jazz base, but it is obvious that Candy had a good time exploring other musical stylings. At your next get-together, throw this album on, and it will be the perfect soundtrack for your occasion.
Buy Together here:
