Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 09/16/2008
Who would have thought it would take a deal with
Atlantic Records to uncover the independent live spirit of Louisiana singer/songwriter
Marc Broussard?
Broussard drew more than a few raves for his 2007
Vanguard issue
S.O.S.: Save Our Soul, but it was still an album covered in studio gimmickry -- it tried too hard to sound like an old-school soul record and contained only covers. This time out, it's all original material recorded on two-inch analog tape (
Atlantic should release this on vinyl).
Broussard uses his road band, and longtime collaborators
Justin Tocket and
Calvin Turner as co-producers, to knock it out of the park. He employs a couple of Nash Vegas studio aces in keyboardist
Tim Akers and guitarist
Gary Burnette,
the Nashville String Machine, and a seven-piece horn section to enhance the proceedings.
LeAnn Rimes and
Sara Bareilles sing on one track each to boot.
Keep Coming Back is a brash and very present recording rooted in
Broussard's arrangements. It was cut in 11 days and the singer claims eight of its songs were first takes. It's drenched in gritty Southern funk, big voiced blue-eyed soul, and swampy blues and rock. He has more in common with singers like
Delbert McClinton,
Delaney Bramlett,
Joe South, and even
Daryl Hall than the bizarre comparisons to
Al Green and
Donny Hathaway he got last time out. The set kicks off with gritty funk as
Broussard comes strutting into his lyric in a relaxed but low-down backcountry seductive croon. One can feel the immediacy of the band's presence in the whomp of the snare drums, choppy guitars, and snaky keyboards winding themselves around the blanket of horns (can you say
Muscle Shoals?) and a backing chorus that takes it all to party-ville.
"Hard Knocks" is mean with its grooved-out
Hendrixian guitar sound and explosive low-end theory bassline and staggered breaks.
Broussard's voice is enormous; he can soar above the wall of brass without even trying. The overdubs -- done later -- add to the sense of presence on the record rather than take it away.
"Why Should We Wait," with
Bareilles on backing vocals, is a catchy pop-soul tune that should score as a single. It's far from the best thing here, but it's catchy and warm and uncharacteristically innocent. The
Rimes duet on
"When It's Good" is a solid clue that she should sing in this vein more often. To be truthful, one has seldom heard her this up-front and fearless. Her emotional depth almost steals the show -- especially with the whining Dobro playing the blues in the background. But
Broussard is no slouch and can emote in the slow ones too, and does -- this is like
Delaney & Bonnie at their very best.
"Another Night Alone" showcases his upper register and ability to croon as well as howl -- likewise for
"Going Home," which is downright sexy.
Power's in the People" is the political song of the 2008 season, no matter what your party preference. This is the mythical place where
War,
the Staples, and
Bobby Whitlock all meet in the sweaty humid New Orleans night. The references are merely that, and
Broussard sounds like himself;
Keep Coming Back is a conscious attempt at capturing immediacy for the listener rather than an attempt at retro revisionism. This is modern and sophisticated yet crackling funky Louisiana blue-eyed soul; it should be heard by anyone with a pulse. The only way
Broussard can possibly top this set -- right now -- is to play the whole thing live.
~Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
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