Diane and I traveled to High Point, NC, yesterday to meet friends for lunch. Our companion for the 70-minute (one way) ride was the Smokey’s Soul Town channel on SiriusXM, which plays the classic soul and R&B of the 1960s and ’70s. Midway through the trip, however, it occurred to me that Diane might like Melbourne-based singer Ella Thompson’s new single, “Let There Be Nothing,” as it mines the same musical terrain; I’d stumbled upon the song just a few hours earlier while surfing YouTube.
During that initial listen, and again in the car, the song reminded me of a slew of yesteryear favorites plus such retro-soul singers as Amy Winehouse and Duffy. I added it to my Apple Music library and, while doing so, noticed that Thompson also released an album (more of an EP, really, given that it’s seven tracks and 20 minutes) late last year. Domino is its title. I added that to my library, as well, but by that point was crunched for time. I figured I’d listen to it once we returned home or possibly this a.m.
Back to the car ride: “I like it,” Diane said once “Let There Be Nothing” finished, before adding a slight disclaimer: “But not as much as you.” She liked it enough to want to hear Domino, however. She and I both enjoyed that, too. It sports an infectious throwback vibe.
From what I gathered this morning, Thompson—who previously was with the Down Under indie band Dorsal Fins and electro-boogie duo GL—takes inspiration from such old-school acts as the Shangri-Las and Renée Geyer (a well-regarded Aussie jazz-R&B singer), who mentored her, as well as such contemporary artists and groups as neo-soul singer Baby Rose and Thee Sacred Souls, who mine a similar groovy retro sound. I should mention that she co-wrote “Let There Be Nothing” with former Dorsal Fins bandmate and GL partner Liam McGorry, who also produced it with her and engineer Henry Jenkins.
The Old Grey Cat 
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