Released on 7/1/2017, Kimberly Freemans’s Secret Lullaby gives us a unique glimpse into our favorite One-Eyed Doll. Although Kimberly and Junior collaborate to bring us fourteen new tracks, these are very unlike anything they’ve put together as “One-Eyed Doll.” Themes of love and loss permeate several of the tracks while the instrumental songs demonstrate the musicianship that make this pairing of artists so successful.
The first track, “Rust” explores a metaphysical relationship between a ship and her captain, which kind-of sets the tone for the whole album. On some tracks, particularly “Lions And Lillies,” you can feel a bit of a folk influence. Whereas, the song “Child Of Yesterday” has an almost 70’s style dreamy vibe. Kimberly’s powerful vocals, the hallmark of a One-Eyed Doll album are just as predominant in the tracks of Secret Lullaby. There are a couple of tracks with darker themes which could easily live on a One-Eyed Doll album, but they are equally at home here as “Secret Lullabies.” My favorite instrumental track would have to be “Chocolate for Blood,” with haunting instrumentals played over a powerful percussive rhythm. It almost reminds me of a cross between “Plavalaguna’s Aria” (From the movie The Fifth Element) crossed with Prince’s “When Doves Cry.”
If you’re a fan of the themes and heavier elements of One-Eyed Doll, this may not be the album for you. However, if you are a fan of Kimberly and Junior and are looking for music that can transport you to a different plane, Secret Lullaby can do just that.
