Play 90 second soundbite of 'In The Dark' @ 'CD quality'
Featuring a musician list that reads like a who's who of 'session' players, 'Southside United Vol 1' absolutely hits the spot with its eclectic take on the genre which pools R&B, reggae and a whole lot more within the generally 'blue' ethos. Mainly covers it has to be said but with a couple of originals thrown in, 'Southside United Vol 1' will soon have those 2007 rain soaked feet a-tappin' and bring some warmth back to yer soul. Classily performed and superbly recorded, 'Southside United Vol 1' is slick and wholesome with a pretty mean feel-good factor.
These 'guys' may choose to 'cover' some pretty hefty classics but no way do they simply plagiarise; every song is given the full Southside R&B treatment and comes up sounding fresh and somehow exhilarating - easy on the ear but expensively wearing on the shoes. I suppose blues purists may take exception occasionally but generally 'Southside' is doing more good than harm; certainly, 'Southside' re-visits and re-vitalises as it 'takes on all-comers' through the musical generations. Cleverly, Dick Lovejoy and Co retain the essence of each song even after their re-workings - this is not genre destroying but genre enlightening - just giving a slightly new take on some oldies but goodies. It works for me and I'm pretty sure it'll work for many, many more.
Dick Lovejoy's done an amazing job here; he's given some great songs a whole new face and created a surprisingly uplifting R&B/blues album that'll win friends and renew some old acquaintances. Really tasty stuff - and a pleasant change!
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