Soul Sick is the second solo album from
Sallie Ford, who split with her band
the Sound Outside in 2014, but in some ways this 2017 album feels more like a debut than its predecessor. Chalk that up to how
Ford delves right into personal territory on
Soul Sick, a move that is slightly telegraphed by the album's title. Throughout the album, she sings about loss and anxiety, issues that are common to many, but her songs offer a specific, personalized spin on these troubles. Similarly,
Ford's music is idiosyncratic and surprising, fusing together elements of the past and present. Like
Slap Back before it,
Soul Sick demonstrates a stronger debt to indie rock than anything
the Sound Outside did, but she's threading in some of the retro sounds that are at the foundation of her music. There are hints of Farfisa-fueled girl groups, rousing soul ballads, galloping rockabilly, even swirling wah-wah psychedelia, all sounds that sit nicely next to the big-footed stomp of "Never Gonna Please" or the jangle of "Record on Repeat." Producer
Mike Coykendall helps tie these sounds together into a seamless tapestry, but
Soul Sick really holds together due to
Ford's strength of personality. She pleads, yelps, and croons, alternating between agitation and desperation, and that raw emotion is the true hook on
Soul Sick. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine