Michael Lee — “Michael Lee & the Wartime Limousine” — Skylark Soul Co.
Ever since he was a teenager, teaching himself to play guitar and sneaking out of the house to hear blues in Bedford, Texas, bars, Michael Lee was fascinated by the music. “I was so focused on like, ‘How do I do better at this? How do I write songs? How do I sing?’ It was a great education.”
“My very first concert was Buddy Guy and B.B. King, and I remember being pulled out of school to go. All my friends in high school would be listening to modern music at the time, like Nickelback or whatever it was. I was like, ‘But where are the goosebumps?’”
Lee played in classic rock bands but later joined regional blues and soul groups, playing six nights a week. Videos of his showmanship surfaced on YouTube, where producers of the NBC reality show, The Voice, noticed him. He was invited to audition for the competition in 2018.
Following his departure from The Voice, Lee performed with B.B. King’s Blues Band in 2019, and recorded on their tribute album, “Soul of the King.”
Riding that early success, the Fort Worth-based Lee released his self-titled album “Michael Lee” in 2019 on Ruf Records, and now is back with another self-titled session, this one with his band, “Michael Lee & the Wartime Limousine,” on the Skylark Soul label.
Following his love of “older music,” Lee’s latest album effortlessly blends a smooth variety of songs with a soulful heritage, ranging from Motown to Stax to Al Green (he’s a genre all by himself), to vintage R&B and a touch of country. It was recorded live in studio with Wartime Limousine members that include keyboardists Chad Stockslager and Jordache Grant, pedal steel player Will Van Horn, bassist Daniel Balis and drummer Matt Trimble.
The album floats along on its lyrical content, 11 original songs filled with Lee’s musical exploration of the human heart. “The core of this album is love, lost and won,” Lee says. “Understanding everything, we’ll be fine! I want people to experience that optimism and resilience through the music, and hopefully even find themselves in these stories of old love lost and new love found.”
His music here is as personal as it is profoundly moving: “It should be easy, being in a relationship, at least that’s what the matriarchs of my family always told me, “Lee says. “I’ve never had that until now. From the lyrics to the musical choices on this album, there is an overall sense of ease that I’d say stems from the love I have with my wife.”
But the music itself is not syrupy sentiment. It’s filed with Lee’s passion and emotion, joyfully expressed by his pleasantly???? upper-register vocals. It all begins with “Starlight Serenade” a funk-filled admonishment to “listen to the starlight.” Then “We’ll Be Fine” kicks in with its own horn-fueled groove. Both tracks are jouous musical celebrations.
“Drowning” is intensely personal; a poignant counterpoint to its throbbing R&B beat: “It’s about that ‘come to Jesus’ moment you eventually have to face when you’re caught up in your own debauchery,” Lee says. “It’s the harsh realization that no one else is coming to save you, and you have to do the hard work of purging your soul to save yourself.” As the lyric says, “Drinking holy water, drowning the devil in me.”
“You and I” is a soulful ballad that reaches back for inspiration and forward with its message: “Earth angel, tell me you are mine.” “Caught It” has a tasty Al Green flavor, and “Lesser Than a Better Man” is a sensual, soulful ballad. “Wild Out of Me” is a pledge to remain free and unfettered. Lee continues to pour out his soulful magic on “End of the Line,” “Outta My Head,” “Living High,” and brings it to a gorgeous finale on “I Am Yours,” a tender love ballad glistening with Lee’s luminous falsetto.
Michael Lee has filled this album with the kind of sweet soul music that breathes new life into that classic genre. He no longer needs to ask “Where are the goosebumps?” He’s made his own.
Here’s “Drowning” from the album:
Tracklist:
- Starlight
- We’ll Be Fine
- Drowning
- You and I
- Caught It
- Lesser Than A Better Man
- End of the Line
- Outta My Head
- Living High
- I Am Yours