Love And Poverty

Strange Faith is a new collaborative project from a varied cast of musicians including country soul singer-songwriter Jeb Loy Nichols and jazz/blues/folk producer and composer Benedic Lamdin, acclaimed for his output under the Nostalgia 77 moniker alongside work with the likes of Valerie June, Jamie Cullum and Prince Fatty. Strange Faith brings a rich and vibrant, breezy yet bluesy twist on the laid-back soul sound and earthy lyrical slant that has seen Nichols crowned the "high priest of country cool" by Rolling Stone magazine.

But while that voice is unmistakable, 'Love & Poverty' is a far cry from being a Nichols solo effort, and it shines with the vital and equal input of a talented ensemble: in attendance at the original session, held at drummer Antonio Feola's Fish Factory studio in London, were Feola himself on drums, Ned Crowther on bass and vocals, Nichols on guitar and vocals, and Lamdin also playing guitar. Like many of the projects with which Ben Lamdin is involved - including last year's massively acclaimed (and BBC 6Music Playlisted) dub/jazz exploration with Prince Fatty, and his many live albums under names including Nostalgia 77 & The Monster - this one grew organically from an informal session that proved too special to ignore and became a repeat occurrence.