S.O.S.: Save Our Soul in Bloomington, MN

It might have come out in 2007, but
S.O.S.: Save Our Soul
is a record very much grounded in the
soul
music of the 1960s and 1970s, both in material and sound. To begin with, all but one of the songs is a cover of a '60s or '70s
tune. The arrangements have a very vintage sound as well, singer
Marc Broussard
and multi-instrumentalist/background singer
Calvin Turner
being the only constant factors in a rotating cast of players. Give
Broussard
credit for not opting, for the most part, for overdone standards; there are covers of a few big hits here (
Marvin Gaye
's
"Inner City Blues [Make Me Wanna Holler],"
the Staple Singers
'
"Respect Yourself,"
the Pointer Sisters
"Yes We Can, Can"
), but also interpretations of lesser-known songs associated with
Stevie Wonder
,
Bobby Womack
Rance Allen
Al Green
, and
Blood, Sweat & Tears
. On its own terms, it's an OK record;
's a good (if not too distinctive) singer, and the musical grooves are solid. If you made a mixtape of the originals, though, it would blow this out of the water, making this an inessential tribute to vintage
that's rather pointless except as a showcase of
's skill in carrying on the tradition. ~ Richie Unterberger