The latest studio outing from Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, aka one of the hottest live soul acts on the planet, serves up a faithful and suitably heartfelt dozen tracks that have been staples of their performances for many years now.
As anyone who has ever witnessed them first hand will testify, the coupling of a powerhouse vocal from Jones with an impeccably-rendered soul-funk rhythms of the Dap-kings makes for a marriage made in heaven. Add to the mix a strong song writing quality you are served up with everything the title suggests.
Insisting as always, on traditional analogue recording techniques and masterfully produced by Gabriel ’Bosco Mann’ Roth with notable help from Neal Sugarman, ‘Soul Time!‘ proves to be a faultless exercise in sixties authenticity. With their feet firmly planted in the traditional soul sound of the past, for many soul enthusiasts this in it’s self will be enough.
So why am I not experiencing those tinges of excitement like I have been by their previous output? Well, for me this is a ’safe’ album, it’s the same as everything before it. They undoubtedly do what they do as good as anyone and better than most but with so much so much obvious talent on show, for me there is just a tiny lack of imagination with this, their fifth album.
A faithful cover of the Shuggie Otis classic ‘ Inspiration Information’ is fine addition while Mann’s ‘He Said I Can’ will have the most ardent soulie scouring the record crates for a non existent sixties original.
They are a fantastic band and deliver a killer live show…every time. I just hope that one day they will move their sound on a tad and shake off the slightly restrictive ’old skool’ straight jacket.,… now that would be worth shouting about.
Find out more about the CD at the Amazon website
Neil Henderson
