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Soulpersona’s second album and follow up to Soulacoaster is a concept album created in collaboration with Princess Freesia who goes under the guise of Avalon Lexus, a clandestine character created specifically for the this collection of raregroove inspired tunes. Here’s a review from Soulcuts.org that sets the scene

“Soulpersona‘s second album will certainly find favour with those that lapped (see what I did there?) up his debut release, Soulacoaster, but there’s little doubt that his new project with Princess Freesia is more ambitious and daring. The Lapdancer is one of those ‘soundtrack-to-an-imaginary-movie’ albums. While this approach is common in other genres, particularly hip-hop, it’s pretty much unchartered territory in soul.

The Lapdancer casts vocalist Princess Freesia as Avalon Lexus, a high class erotic dancer and escort, who tells her story across a set of lovingly crafted tracks taking in soul, jazz-funk, disco and rare groove. I’m still digesting the album, considering a more in-depth review, but, from a musical perspective, it sounds like one of the most coherent releases of the year so far. The Lapdancer definitely succeeds in creating a cinematic soundscape, yet without sacrificing actual ‘songs’ in the process. Initial highlights include the funky intro, the disco-jazz-funk of A Girl’s Gotta Get Her Lovin’ (which sounds a little like something from another soul concept album, Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite), The Lapdancer Theme (a spoken-word piece that reminds me of a track from one of those old Rebirth of Cool compilations), the atmospheric 2011 disco of Ava’s Fantasy, the ballsy, funky and dramatic I Got Into This Mess, the languid Hot Shower Interlude and the sweet balladry of I’m Sorry and Ultrasuperlove (both recalling the more sensuous side of Minnie Riperton). But the quality never truly dips across the album’s 16 tracks.”