With fantastic cover art designed to look like the weathered picture sleeve to an ’60s-era 45, Melody Thornton‘s “Sweet Vendetta” set the bar high before I heard a single note of the debut single from the former Pussycat Doll.

Thank goodness that “Sweet Vendetta” is sweet music to my ears, sporting a spunky Motown beat. The song also marks the debut of new L.A. writing/production duo Church+State, Chris Mann and Adrian Bradford. Mann says that “Sweet Vendetta” was borne from Thornton’s love for legendary soul sisters Tina Turner and Shirley Bassey. Hence the song’s confident sass.

“Sweet Vendetta” is a definite departure from the polished R&B/dance-pop The Pussycat Dolls turned out, but now given a chance for her voice to be heard, Thornton’s retro-soul move into the spotlight deserves equal attention. It’s so much better fellow former PCD-er Nicole Scherzinger’s current single, “Right There,” on which she adopts Jamaican patois and cavorts with 50 Cent.

Purchase Melody Thornton – “Sweet Vendetta” via iTunes.