Yola has a unique country soul sound that meshes genres and British 60’s styles. Dusty Springfield would have a had a field day tackling these songs. On “Faraway Look” Yola sings the hell out lyrics like “You lit the candles on the cake and threw the match down on the floor.” Her legato is staggering. Next, we have “Shady Grove” She languishes her vocal pipes around the simple yet haunting lines “ A tale too old to know the ending.” Then “Ride Out in the Country” gives her a chance to rip through a traditional country song “The country satisfies my soul when I think I’m going crazy.” But this woman has enough soul already. Don’t you even think about resisting the line “Let’s make us a home from cedar clad and oak” on “It Ain’t Easier”. Her soulful twang is in full swing. Wail on Yola! A little Janis Joplin visits us on the title track “Walk through the Fire”. Your temperature will rise as you hear the line “The red hot coals are calling”. “Deep Blue Dream” has bits of Linda Ronstadt sneaking in. “Lonely Night” gives us a haunting Cilla Black chill with hints of Phil Spector’s wall of sound. On the last two tracks “Keep me Here” and “Love is the Light” I would swear Roberta Flack, Anita Baker and Oleta Adams were the parents of Yola.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/yola-artist-you-need-to-know-780854/