Allysha Joy: Torn / Tonic | 4ZZZ Brisbane 102.1FM

- The smoky, gentle smoothness of Allysha Joy’s sound is deceptive, because, really, she’s relentless. Even before the pandemic locks got knocked off the doors to international travel she was rattling the cage, raring to go. She’s out there right now, not touring her last record and its attendant clutch of remixes -on which the dust has barely settled- but flinging out a new one, even as she hits the stages across the UK. She produced this one herself, by the way. No filler either, no generic crap, as she says herself: “No love songs! Just social, political, emotional anthems for change!” The exclamation marks are hers. If you’ve ever listened to Allysha Joy in the past, you’ll know that this maverick jazz-soul-r’n’b revolutionary never wastes an ounce of time.

The breathless sense of just doing-it-all really is the opposite of many of the 3am jazz bar vibes that drift out of the new record, Torn: Tonic. It has the same shadowy, echoing production style as the previous EP, Light It Again, although, as mentioned, Joy has taken the reigns from Hiatus Kaiyote’s Perin Moss and produced this one herself; I mean it as a compliment when I say  it seems like she was watching him closely when they were working together.

For a long time Allysha Joy has not so much been connected to the Naarm/Melbourne urban, jazz, funk, soul scene as a focal point at the center of it. As such she’s put some of the finest musos there to work on her previous releases. I know a little less about who’s playing on this one, outside of the guest vocalists. Those represent a mix of rising talent from the UK and Oz, in Rara Zulu, Ego Ella May, BINA., Belle Bangard and even a Meanjin/Brisbanite in Dancingwater. As far as the session musos powering the beat, I don’t know so much,  but as usual, it’s at a very high level, from a very business-like rhythm section, to Kaiyote-esque experimental flourishes (without ever going overboard) and plenty of space for Joy’s social messages.

Joy’s release schedule is now so regular and her conscious themes so consistent, there’s a small danger of feeling like you already know what’s on offer here. Then again, who cares? You drank Cristal last night at the club - does that mean you can’t do it again tonight? To be honest, with the smoke in Allysha Joy’s voice I’m guessing she’s on the Laphroig or some such. If you’re lucky enough to catch her over the pond, or have to wait until her whirlwind touring brings her down under again, raise a glass to one of the business’ best operators, one who’s only getting better with age.

- Chris Cobcroft.