Review: 'Stand For Myself' by Yola

Yola

By Mike O’Cull

British vocal hurricane and Grammy nominee Yola follows a new, magnificent course on her new album Stand For Myself. The set hits the pavement July 30th, 2021 on the Easy Eye Sound imprint and was produced by studio guru Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. It’s a genre-smashing blend of symphonic soul, vintage pop, gospel, and Americana influences and meaningful, relevant lyrics that deliver empowerment, encouragement, and social commentary each in proper measure. “The album is like a window into my mind, my life experiences, my politics, my hopeful and sentimental sides, and my hope for humanity at large,” Yola says, trying to explain this multifaceted and nuanced set but a listen or two will sort out all of those ideas and more. Ultimately, Stand For Myself is 12 songs of freedom meant to connect with anyone who has ever felt like an outsider and let them know they’re not alone.

Yola is an explosively talented vocalist and songwriter who has already lived out an amazing story. She has gone from being homeless on the streets of London to getting four Grammy nominations for her 2019 debut effort Walk Through Fire. She quickly became an acclaimed artist in the US market, getting major respect from both fans and critics. She’s been praised by luminaries including Mavis Staples and Elton John and even landed a role as Sister Rosetta Tharpe in Baz Luhrmann’s musical drama Elvis. This year, Yola will become one of the handful of artists who have appeared at Newport Folk and Newport Jazz in the same summer and she is slated to headline the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville in 2022. Her career is booming in the best-possible way and all indications point to Yola becoming an iconic star in her own right.

From the opening track “Barely Alive,” Yola shows the confidence and maturity needed to make music with real impact. Rather than come out spitting fire, she instead chooses a more chilled-out soulful vibe reminiscent of early 70s sounds that lets her tell this tale of just getting by with true vulnerability. Her voice is a stunning instrument all on its own that’s capable of bending beautifully in any direction and communicating directly with her listeners’ hearts.

“Diamond Studded Shoes” is an invigorating blast of gospel-infused soul that speaks to the lost. It’s a song for the people who know all too well that things won’t be alright, that the 1% will keep building luxurious lives on their backs unless they fight. Despite its real-world topic, the song is joyous and uplifting, which makes victory seem inevitable. Yola’s performance here is absolutely radiant and star-making. She sings out an anthemic call to those who need it most and many are already listening.

“Be My Friend” is a strong mid-tempo cut that features an outstanding guest appearance by the great Brandi Carlile. Yola and Carlile easily catch lightning together and make a powerful vocal pair on this country-flavored gem. Yola’s title track “Stand For Myself” is an intense, funky number with a heavy chorus and a tough message about those who bury their heads and deliberately avoid unpleasant truths like bigotry and inequality. She punches hard and fearlessly to get her point across and to make sure you remember it. Be sure to also get tight with highlight selections “Now You’re Here” and “Like A Photograph.”

Stand For Myself is an epic second album from an artist that words can’t fully describe. One must experience Yola and her way of doing things to genuinely get why she’s so important. This is the hybrid soul music of the future and will one day be regarded as one of the records that changed things. Get it into your ears and find out why.

Watch “Stand For Myself”