TOKUNBO

LOST & FOUND

Yuruba Girl Records

I am sent many albums from overseas.  This one was mailed from Germany. I slipped the new disc into my CD player and the simplicity of Tokunbo’s production showcased her tone and the warm quality of her voice; a voice that magnifies her songwriting gifts. Ulrich Bode is Tokunbo’s acoustic and electric guitarist who accompanies her.  He also plays ukulele, bass, keyboards, sings and has co-written these tunes along with Tokunbo and Matthias Maze Meusel. The three talents are also co-producers.

There is a booklet of stunning photographs of Tokunbo inside the CD jacket. It also displays the poetic lyrics she has penned.  Tokunbo sings lead and background vocals.  A special guest, Phil Siemers, joins her for a duet on the tune, “Polaroid Life.”

I appreciate Tokunbo’s lyrics. They paint vivid life pictures, like diary pages of lessons learned. She writes “hooks” that have catchy melodies and memorable lyrics. Songs like “On the Corner of Oak Street” brush happiness onto the walls of my listening room.  Meusel’s percussive rhythm inflates this music like a helium balloon.

Tokunbo’s original music crosses genres.  It is pop music in one breath, folksy in the next, but can also translate to jazz or even country/western music, depending on the arrangement. A good song can fluidly become whatever an arranger dictates. These are all well-written songs.

Some of her music hypnotizes with groove and melody like “Under Water.”  Vocally, her tone is seductive, recalling those ancient Greek mythology voices called Sirens. Her tone is comfortable, captivating and persuasive.

Tunes like “Cocoon” and “Stop Motion Movie” reflect the power, popularity and legend of other successful songwriter voices like Joan Baez, Sade, Corinne Bailey Rae, or Joni Mitchell.

Tokunbo’s story about “Empty Nest” touched my heart. It paints a clear picture of that transformational moment when a child leaves their parent’s home, claiming independence. Her song “70’s Magazine Memory” quickly becomes another favorite, actually telling the story of Tokunbo’s parents, how they met and then fell in love.

With this, her fourth solo album, “Lost & Found” shares intimate acoustic songwriting with storytelling that explores Tokunbo’s identity, mixed culture, family, and female empowerment.

TOKUNBO BAND: Tokunbo, lead vocals/backing vocals/composer/lyricist/co-producer; Ulrich Rode, acoustic & electric guitars/ukulele/ electric bass/keyboards/backing vocals/composer & co-producer; Christian Flohr, electric & upright bass; Matthias Maze Meusel, co-producer/ drums/ percussion/keyboards/piano/ composer; Anne de Wolff, violin & viola/cello/backing vocals/vibraphone/string arranger. SPECIAL GUEST: Phil Siemers, vocals.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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