Denielle Bassels - Little Bit a' love (2023)

Denielle Bassels' third studio album, "Little Bit a' Love," is the anticipated follow-up to 2017's celebrated album, "What About Wool Wishbags," which received glowing reviews and airplay in Canada and beyond. Slated for release in June 2023, listeners can look forward to Bassels' emotive, musical journey as she pulls back the curtain to share her most personal struggles of loss and depression to her quest for purpose. Bassels beckons us to witness a poignant metamorphosis that is resoundingly triumphant. Along with her signature modus operandi of seamlessly weaving elements of folk, swing and blues, "Little Bit a' Love" demonstrates that the most profound love can grow and thrive under the toughest circumstances.

On the opening track, "Little Bit a' Love," we are transported to a street party in New Orleans where we find passersby joining in on this catchy folk swing original with makeshift shakers, cajón, and congas, played by Chendy Leon (Sultans Of String), and acoustic guitar by Thom McKay (Nightcrawlers). After, we all hop a swinging getaway train to old New York with "Pooter And Significo," and the saga of "Little bit a' Love" is born.

"My goal was to channel the great Nina Simone in the sense that she refused to be constrained by genre, always wrote about things that impacted her deeply and could affect change, yet always gave the song only what it needed and nothing more, or less. I wanted this album to be playable from a single voice on the streets of Paris to a full orchestra at Carnegie Hall, which meant a way deeper dive into the songwriting process".

Sonically, "Little Bit a' Love" is a new and exciting landscape for this ever-curious artist. While her previous album featured mad hatter arrangements and lush soundscapes, Bassels new volume of work has pushed far out of her comfort zone in both voice and orchestration. This time, she takes a more prominent role in production alongside co-producer Thom McKay (Joydrop, SATE). The result is ten thoughtfully crafted songs that are highly expressive and undeniably soulful, aided by a host of talented musicians, including Grammy nominated Drew Jurecka (Jill Barber, Dua Lipa), who also produced the seventh track, "Gone," Russ Boswell (Holly Cole), along with many of the same talents from “What About Wool Wishbags”; Scott Hunter, Andrew Scott, Andy Mac, and Jacob Gorzhaltsan with the addition of new band mate guitarist, Julien Bradley Combs.

Having begun the project in 2019, Denielle faced the challenges brought on by the pandemic and recorded much of the album in remote sessions. Producer Thom McKay then brought it together at Exeter Sound Studios in Toronto. This was a completely different approach than Bassels had previously experienced. "It was a blessing in disguise because I was forced to push past my limits (limits I set for myself!) and dig deeper into arranging and production. I started writing on piano, played more ukulele and guitar, and found an incredible producing partner and friend in Thom. It was a fun time making music, and I know it shows on the record.”

Sometimes tender, sometimes tough, but always with a flair for storytelling, Bassels makes a distinct departure from her previous work while still maintaining a cohesive connection to her listeners - long-time fans will appreciate tracks such as "Tangled Thread" and "Pooter And Significo" which evoke images of swing dancing in the Orleans summer heat, while tracks "Gone" and "Big Bad Wolf" bring us deeper into Bassels' world as if we are her confidante amidst the desolation of a cold Canadian night. With a renewed sense of self, Denielle Bassels delivers a distinctive album that manages to sound classic yet strikingly original.