NEW SOUL SOUNDS: BJ Wilbanks (w/ Donna Hopkins) – “Don’t Fight The Feelin'”
The new soul sounds of BJ Wilbanks can be found on iTunes.
by Walter Price
Have you reached your mental limit on news of scandals, politics, and chaos? Do long for the simpler times? Wouldn’t it nice to wrap yourself in the warmth of your roots and let go for a while? Maybe slip on some Marvin Gaye and pour a glass of wine and unwind.
Georgia soulman BJ Wilbanks has teamed up with the remarkable Donna Hopkins for a co-written track, “Don’t Fight the Feelin'”, that knows what your going through and offers that reminder for a temporary escape from what it is dragging us down. A return to less complicated times. In an era with so many diversions and aches disrupting the firing of our synapsis, what could be better?
Oh baby I know you’re trying
with all your might to just get by
that you forget to slow yourself down
And things move so fast these days
the world’s too busy for us to see
the real things are what we really need
Hopkins and Wilbanks are obvious naturals together and it’s evident in their soulful work on this track. Wilbanks timeless delivery is as good as its ever been and Hopkins (new to me) is the backbone here. The depths her vocals add to this track are undeniable and potent.
Don’t Fight the feeling
It’s alright to take it in
Just let your worries disappear, far away from here
Oh far away from here
I’ve said this before of Wilbanks before and I’ll reiterate it here once more. This songwriter and performer is a true advocate for the musical heroes who’ve come before him. Forgoing adopting a retro sound for the sake of cool. Instead, taking lessons learned and creating a new era of soul sounds that are as modern as they are historic, beautiful and addictive.
I found the write-up on this new track’s Bandcamp page perfectly written, “In our day and age, human interaction has become a rarity. Everyone is overtaken and overwhelmed with the sense of immediacy, outward appearance, and the EGO overall. Technology and social media have replaced normal social interaction and numbed our hearts and minds. We have this call beckoning inside us, in our humanity, that seems to almost demand us to slow down and connect again. This feeling is the one the song is describing. It’s a gut feeling, but more so a feeling of love that intertwines with the idea of the mass-consciousness that we are all a part of. No matter your religion, or lack thereof, we are all spiritual beings. We are all animals. We are all in this together. We are all simply trying to find our purpose and survive. Maybe it’s time we evolve instead while remembering our basic roots and what makes us the beings we are. Don’t fight the feelin’.”
Simply, take a step back and take it easy for a spell.
Oh so won’t you just, take me back to the younger days
throw on some Marvin Gaye, and maybe we could finally change, baby
BJ WILBANKS
website – bandcamp – instagram
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