Toronto’s Bianca James made her mark on the music world with her debut single, “Monaco” and while I loved the insanely infectious track, after listening to Bianca’s self-titled album out August 4th, I realised it only showed a minuscule side of Bianca’s talent.
On the 8 track deep album, Bianca’s vocals shine and shimmer throughout. She has this beautiful vocal mixture that is one part Duffy rasp, one part Amy Winehouse emotion, and one part Ronnie Spector soul.
Add those powerhouses together and you have Bianca James.
Of the opening track, “Black & Blue”, Bianca says,
It’s about drawing a line and setting boundaries, even if it means walking away.
The song is heartfelt and soulful and hearing it made me think that maybe the label missed the mark selecting “Monaco” as the first single. Comparing it to the debut single, there’s something hard hitting about “Black & Blue” that I think would have resonated with others.
I’m not dissing “Monaco” at all. The song hooked me at the first note but as I said earlier, the song only shows a minuscule side of who Bianca James is.
If I had to describe it, then “Black & Blue” is who Bianca is IRL (in real life) and “Monaco” is who Bianca has carefully curated for social media.
Track number three, “Bang Bang Baby” is the song that any Bond girl enters the room to. It’s jazzy, seductive, and infectious. Bianca’s vocals soar in wonderful time alongside the horns by The Hollywood Horns and the remix elevates the song even further. If one were to achieve a revenge body, then “Bang Bang Baby (Johnnyblake Remix)” is the ultimate revenge song.
On creating music, Bianca says,
I don’t think I consciously wrote songs about empowerment, but there is a message of overcoming, of finding hope on the other side. That’s an undercurrent in all my songs. My mission is to inspire others to live their life, and their dreams, to the fullest.
In “Till I Remember”, Bianca and a piano pair together to create a sincere ballad that encourages one to let go and move on while “Inside Out” is the epitome of a feel good Disney princess sing-along albeit a funky 60’s feel.
Bianca says this about “Inside Out”,
That song came to me in a moment of aching heartbreak. It’s about the distance between your head saying, ‘this isn’t working,’ and your heart catching up and being able to let go.
The bass intro into “Last Words” is my favourite on the album and so is the song. The deep groove, lyrics, and Bianca’s vocals feel as if they are a middle finger to the one soul that has broken hearts.
For her debut album, Bianca James has given listeners not only a view into who she is but allows others to experience her unmistakable talent that is evident in her vocals and writing. She has proven she’s the real deal with effortless grace and undeniable talent.
MUST LISTEN TRACKS: “Black & Blue”, “Bang Bang Baby” “Last Words” “Monaco”
FAVOURITE TRACKS: “Last Words”, “Black & Blue”
