On their new single/music video, “Forgiveness,” soul/R&B duo Rich Wyman & Lisa Needham capture listeners’ attention from the first beat. “Forgiveness” is an apology note from a husband to a wife — and the pair wring every ounce of emotion, sincerity, and playful humor out of the song.
A cool drum shuffle is followed by a fat, vibrating bassline as the piano locks in with a braying organ, along with a bright brass section and gleaming guitar. Flavored with a funky cadence, the tune provides a delicious matrix for Wyman’s lusciously rasping vocals, vaguely reminiscent of Joe Cocker.
Needham’s sultry harmonies add voluptuous sensuality to the song. It’s one of those voices smoldering with fiery seductive timbres, tight and right.
Wyman, a fiery singer, and daring pianist has collaborated with Eddie Van Halen, performed alongside the Goo Goo Dolls, and taken home ten ASCAP awards for his songwriting. Needham has demonstrated remarkable range and flexibility — she’s equally at home singing confessional folk, speakeasy-era jazz, and two-fisted rock and roll. As solo artists, they’re undeniable. As a duo, they’re unstoppable.
Their chemistry doesn’t end at the recording studio door. Rich Wyman and Lisa Needham are partners in life as well as artistic collaborators, which might help to explain the supernatural tightness of their harmonies and the near-telepathic connection they exhibit when they sing together.
The video, directed by Bryce Johnson, depicts Wyman and Needham as bandleaders, escorting a talented band through a rousing performance. The visuals shift to the couple away from the band as they struggle with desire, remorse, sympathy, and anger.
In the end, Wyman delivers his appeal, begging for forgiveness, to Needham under the glow of a stained-glass window.
Brimming with swaggering dynamism, a contagious rhythm, and electrifying vocals, “Forgiveness” definitely hits the sweet spot.
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