The Sidleys "Bittersweet"

(thesidleys.com) While the tone. content, lyrics, and raw emotion of this couple's musical exploration of the lowest points in their relationship (leading to betrayals, breakups, changed relationships) are all jarring, what really shocked me wasn't the soul-searching but the actual soul. It's hard to believe these are white people, not because of the powerful, rich tone of Annie Sidley, but because the approach to contemporary grown folks R&B, involves aspects of quiet storm, non hip jazz, and adult contemporary that are popular with older black music listeners but are not fetishized or considered cool by a lot of white acts that draw on black music. The result is a surprisingly mature, honest, and musically sophisticated pain journey.