Finished before Jones' recent struggle with pancreatic cancer, both her and the indefatigable Dap-Kings stick to the template they've perfected over the course of five records now, offering up a thoughtfully arranged, freshly throwback, full-throttle half-hour of soul power.
"Bosco Mann’s production treats the horns, backing vocals, and acoustic rock instruments like a small orchestra, fiddling with every tone so that each stands out behind Jones' powerful voice. On upbeat tracks like 'Now I See' and 'Stranger To My Happiness,' each instrument can be picked out of the stereo field, concentrated on, and the pure musicianship at work absorbed.
Whereas I Learned The Hard Way suffered from a lack of variation in songwriting, Give The People What They Want traverses the dictionary of soul and pulls out a few different entries, making it a much more engaging record. 'Get Up and Get Out' recalls Sam Cooke with a loose, jazzy backbeat and interweaving brass; 'Making Up and Breaking Up' touts the album’s catchiest chorus and would’ve been a hit had Diana Ross and the Supremes sang it 50 years ago." - TIME/Consequence of Sound