Andre Henry’s debut release, Insomnia, emphatically announces the arrival of an honest and romantic, impassioned soul stylist working at the intersection of soul, jazz and pop. Produced by SoulCuts fave Jesse Fischer, of Soul Cycle (who are featured here as Andre’s band), Insomnia is a confident EP of well crafted, engaging and classy soul music.

Andre’s vocals engage across the entire project. He’s a vocalist who works the song, rather than his voice, telling a tale and engaging the listener, thereby more effectively communicating the feeling behind the lyrics. Like the best musicians, Andre understands that while vocal histrionics may initially impress, the storyteller captures our attention. There’s a finesse to the songwriting and vocals that recalls a bygone era of soul songwriters and stylists such as Ashford & Simpson, Luther and Stevie.

The EP kicks off with the confident It Must Be Hard, a lovely chunk of jazz-funk flecked soul, replete with some warm horns reminiscent of Incognito. The live band approach enables each of the songs on Insomnia to breathe. Jesse’s production, while further strengthening Soul Cycle’s reputation, places Andre’s songwriting and performance centre stage. It’s a wise move when you consider the rounded songwriting exhibited on tracks such as Tell Me About Your Day, a cut which starts off in a smooth soul crooner vibe (think Will Downing) before jumping headfirst into a driving latin stomp calling to mind Stevie’s Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing. I must admit that U Got Me initially felt like a misstep in its attempt to marry contemporary R&B stylings with more thoughtful, considered songwriting and production. It’s certainly a lofty ambition to breathe life into a genre currently so deeply bereft of soul. Although the track didn’t initially stick, multiple spins have revealed U Got Me to be an intriguing cut which, if nothing else, attests to Andre’s confidence, revealing him to be an artist unafraid to take risks. Love is a Resolution is perhaps my favourite song on the EP. It’s an acoustic ballad at the intersection of soul, pop and folk featuring Andre’s best vocal performance, delivering a heartfelt love poem that conveys genuine, believable, romantic intent at odds with the lyrical output of the vast majority of his contemporaries. Love Me or Leave Me Alone further highlights Andre’s impressive songwriting, sounding like a track from Talking Book 2011! Insomnia closes in fine style with the warm jazzy fire of the title track.

The range of material Andre delivers across a mere six track EP is pretty impressive, clearly demonstrating the songwriting chops of a seasoned veteran. I’m sure that he would rather not be pigeon-holed, but SoulCuts is putting him firmly in the box marked ‘Timeless’.

Take a listen to the album below and then head on over to Andre’s Bandcamp page to purchase Insomnia.

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