Kelly Moneymaker – ‘Stone’ album out now

A stunning, powerhouse vocal married to upbeat soul, gospel and blues, the new album from Kelly Moneymaker is an album with instant impact. A veteran musician who is now shining in a solo vocal career, Moneymaker previously worked as part of vocal groups before stepping out on her own.

The results are a shining example of what can happen when you let a person with a real, natural talent loose on a microphone. In 13 relatively short and sweet tracks, Moneymaker takes all the wannabes on the myriad TV talent shows, and leaves them in her wake.

It helps that the genre seems built for her powerful vocal. Whether over the mid-tempo drive of ‘Bad Boy’ or ballads such as ‘Wild Away’, Moneymaker’s vocal slides coolly and effortlessly along, even when hitting the most outrageous high notes. It’s the kind of album which makes me regret that I missed her recent UK tour, and I’ll be keeping an eye on her website to catch the next one.