We’re constantly being told about the next wave of groovesome boundary-pushers—those artists tearing up the soul blueprint and redrawing it for our times. And, yes, evolution is essential; every genre must grow, shift, and write the next chapter in its sonic story. But sometimes, amidst all that forward motion, we risk leaving a few pages unfinished in the chapters we’ve already penned— and that is certainly true when it comes to soul music.
Cue Soulstice, the fourth album from The Morning Kings, a record as rich in texture as it is clever in title. Here’s a masterclass in how to embrace soul, and indeed funk and pop’s golden past, whilst also moving everything forward. This isn’t nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake, nor is it simple imitation. Dealing with retro sounds doesn’t mean plundering or plagiarizing the classic canon; the smart sonic cookie will be found making music that builds a bridge between the past and the present, music that is the logical extension of what has gone before. And that is what we have here, the very best of both worlds.
“Don’t Give Up” opens things up with a glorious slice of upbeat funk, a sonic gem fashioned from optimism and euphoric grooves, precisely the sort of song that the funk format was created for, and if is built of familiar sonic building blocks, “Stuck Inside,” which follows is about as fresh and forward-thinking as it gets, melliflous, late-night soul-pop deliciously drenched in liquid guiatrs and sultry sax.
“Happy Trees” is understated and spacious, proof that the band can be as effective when they are doing almost nothing as when they have their foot on the gas. “Over The Edge” is fuelled by a sense of dark intrigue and some distant, growling rock guitars, and by the time we get to the final song “FunkSoul,” a song aptly named, you realise that you have listened to a powerful rising posse of funk-soul brothers.
How do you write the next chapter of funk and soul without forgetting about the past? How do you find new sounds and new musical moves in genres whose sounds were defined decades ago? How do you jump sonic boundaries without leaving existing fans behind? How do you write songs that are equal parts fun and funky, soulful and sophisticated, infectious and intelligent, articulate and…well, let’s face it, awesome? I don’t know, but you could ask The Morning Kings.
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