Description
Just a couple years shy of 80, Staples once again proves herself an essential force; having been musically active since the Fifties her continued vitality is astonishing. Her voice has grown even more commanding with time, and it’s nigh on impossible to refuse her entreaties. If All I Was Was Black contains performances as powerful as any she has given. Staples is at her most soul-stirring on the wistfully brief sign-off ‘All Over Again,’ on which she hauntingly rasps, “with the stars all closing in / I set out on the old ocean”. Overall though her tireless positivity reigns, and it’s a potent reality check for those feeling fatigued at the general shit-show expressed daily through the media. For those Staples has a message – “No time for crying / We’ve got work to do.” – Drowned In Sound
