Euphoric reviews roll in for the 77 year-old soul singer
Memphis, TN’s Elizabeth King’s debut album Living In The Last Days, (following a series of regional hit singles in the 1970s reissued to acclaim in 2019) has marked the arrival of a major sacred soul artist. Produced by Fat Possum’s Bruce Watson and mixed by Watson and GRAMMY-winner Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, John Prine, Margo Price, Al Green), the album is earning the type of reviews that mark a best-of-the-year candidate. Here’s what we’re reading:
“Will transport believers and non-believers… a marvelous return… commanding authority.”
–Ken Tucker, NPR Fresh Air, March 29, 2021
“4 stars (out of 5)… Superb… powerful and commanding…. Much of the album sounds as if it could be a lost ‘70s Stax recording – an excellent thing.”
–Lois Wilson, MOJO, May, 2021
“There’s a genuinely timeless element to Elizabeth’s music, and she’s very much still got it as both a singer and a performer.”
–Andrew Sacher, Brooklyn Vegan, March 11, 2021
“Living in the Last Days is immediate, powerful, and unforgettable.”
–Thom Jurek, All Music, April 2, 2021
“With so much greatness rolled into 11 songs, Living in the Last Days will inspire emotions in any listener.”
–Rachel Cholst, No Depression, April 1, 2021
“Her deep voice is charged with conviction and reverberates with joy.”
–Betsy Cribb, Southern Living, March 17, 2021
“A remarkable and powerful collection of soulful gospel music… Elizabeth King’s music contains multitudes. Every bit of her 77 years — all the joy and pain she’s known, the love for the family she raised, the car accident that nearly claimed her life and the God that saved her — is there, it can be heard in every inflection and utterance.”
–Bob Mehr, Memphis Commercial Appeal, March 30, 2021
“Terrific record.”
–Kacky Walton, WKNO (Memphis NPR affiliate) Checking On The Arts, March 25, 2021
“The debut LP boasts her timeless, remarkable sound… On her new LP, King shines. Her voice and delivery is as strong as any gospel or blues singer before her”
–Jacob Uitti, American Songwriter, April 2, 2021
“The result is a deeply soulful album of 11 tracks that showcase King’s well-preserved voice over instrumentations that are reminiscent of soul music’s golden era.”
–Ezra Wheeler, Daily Memphian, March 13, 2021
“Living in the Last Days is the joyful noise you’ll want to play over and over… Living in the Last Days runs the gamut of Memphis musical genres. From the hand-clapping, good time title track to the funk infused ‘Testify,’ and ‘Reach Out and Touch Me,’ this album did reach out and touch me… Pure Memphis soul with a positive message.”
–JD Nash, American Blues Scene, February 24, 2021
