Buy Sweet Soul Music here (Amazon UK)
If I were (ahem) a gambling man, I would bet good money that thousands of people across these fair British isles are loving the sound of a brand new The Overtones CD this very morning. The loving care and attention paid to every aspect of this project (more on this in a moment) will no doubt be lifting the nation's spirits higher with each spin of the disc. Sweet Soul Music is album number four from Britain's most dapper man band and proves to be a worthy addition to their already impressive canon of songs they've produced over the past 5 years. Even the packaging of the physical product seems like a labour of love with sincere and genuine notes from the lads that sit alongside the vinyl-esque CD in that vivid Motown emulating cover art. As with their previous three albums the source material is the music that inspires our boys and this is clearly evident from their impassioned performances across this project. Not to mention their own crafted songs which slot seamlessly into the tracklisting as if they had used a time machine to go back to 60s Detroit and immerse themselves in the excitement of that burgeoning music scene. It's canny timing too for the disc to hit stores - it's a perfect Mother's Day gift and an ideal way to sell those remaining few seats on their upcoming summer tour. Here's an overview of some of the highlights of each song...
- Sweet Soul Music ~ The Arthur Conley song opens the album with a rousing horn section and Timmy posing the rhetorical question of whether you like this sweet soul music. What's not too like - it's a vibrant, energetic way to kickstart the album. You can tell the lads are absolutely in their element here with infectious enthusiasm pouring from every note they sing. It goes without saying that the harmonies are as tight as ever, the instrumental sounding like a live band is playing inside your very speakers. It sets the tone for the album and raises great expectations for one heck of a party on the tour...
- Get Ready ~ shared vocals and exquisite production ensures that this version gives The Temptations a run for the money. Frankly this song could just be 3 minutes of that "fe fi fo fum" vocal performance - possibly one of the most seductive things you'll hear all the live long year. It's still giving me chills (and yes, they're multiplying). The drum rhythm here is entirely intoxicating and wisely the fab five make it an equal part of the song - they never let it overshadow their soaring vocals, rather work with the beat as if it were the sixth member of the group. It's this understanding of each element of the songs on Sweet Soul Music that make it such a joy to listen to...
- Give Me Just A Little More Time ~ *Scream* It's a Kylie cover (although of course not really - Kylie covered this Chairman of the Board smash back in 1992). This is beautifully structured, particularly the opening moments. I'm a big fan of piano (being a grade 8 pianist myself) and the mellifluous ballad like piano opening is a work of art. It's gently underscored by elegant strings before a slide down the keyboard that introduces brilliantly textured vocals from all 5 Overtones in a way that sends a shiver down your spine. Glorious. And that's all within the first 30 seconds! What's fascinating about this version is that they perform against an uptempo backdrop but the use of crescendo in the music as well as their voices bringing out the melancholy of the lyrics makes it feel like the album's first ballad. It works perfectly and those lead vocals are going to sound amazing whether blasting out your car stereo or being sung from the stage of venues across the country. Kylie would be proud :)
- Something Good ~ Ah the joyous lead single still sounds utterly fabulous nearly 2 months after it's first play on BBC Radio 2. An original composition that stands head and shoulders alongside the classics but also fits nicely into their other self penned songs (particularly Second Last Chance and Love Song). Lachie takes the majority of the verses, bringing a shining enthusiasm and positivity to the inspirative lyrics that detail that full on endorphin rush you get when the good times roll. He sounds as majestic as ever, commanding the melody yet (as always with the lads) never competing with the brilliantly arranged accompanying vocals. I always hesitate to call them backing vocals because they are such an integral part of this song (and The Overtones sound) that the music wouldn't have as much of an impact without them. Timmy steps up to vocal duty on the chorus and the happy chappy infuses the tune with an animated chant that is the most feel good thing you will hear in 2015. It's the very definition of what I call a pom-pom song - the type of tune that picks you up, gets you on the dancefloor and leaves you feeling edified and elated.
- Heatwave ~ like many an enduring pop classic any version of the song will take you back to when you first heard it. In this case I first became aware of the Martha and the Vandellas evergreen when Whoopi Goldberg was singing it during the opening of the movie Sister Act! Kudos must go the band for infusing the instrumental accompaniment with the organic soul sound yet giving it the gentlest of contemporary makeovers that fit the boys vocals like a hand in glove. Nothing meretricious about this performance either - there's substance to go with the style as they ably conjure up images of balmy summer nights and the breathlessness of anticipation that the first flushes of love and desire can bring. It's musical alchemy at it's finest, weaving a spell for the listener who remains blissfully ensnared from first beat to last note. A true delight.
- Let's Stay Together ~ No one can say that Mark, Lachie, Timmy, Mike and Darren are not well versed in the act of musical seduction (go back to fe-fi-fo-fum)! This is more romantic than flowers, chocolates and 50 Shades of Grey on Valentine's Day. Sincere intention oozes from each individual vocal - so much so that I'm pretty sure my lights dimmed themselves while I was listening to it. Rapt attention is pretty much how I'd describe how you are most likely to listen to this track, followed by slight breathlessness and the need for a cold shower. Expect a baby boom in 9 months time! Seriously though, this really is sweet soul music at it's absolute finest.
- Moving On ~ Another triumphant original that just begs to be a single with some genius visual companion piece. It's a song about catching a lover out in their ever growing list of misdeeds and being the strong person who realises you deserve better than this. The rapid drum beat that underscores the tune gives a feeling of intensity that mirrors the emotions and sentiments captured by the narrative of the lyrics. Sharp, punctuated accompanying vocals jab into the tune with a ferocity that enhances and exacerbates the feisty lead vocal from Timmy. Despite the aching sadness of lyrics like "I ain't going to cry for you no more/you know I would've died for you before", it's ultimately an empowering song that aims to uplift the listener with it's message of liberation from the bad times. In this respect it completely succeeds - in no small part thanks to that thrillifying chorus that embeds itself firmly into your brain after just one listen. The horns permeate the song like little cheerleaders of encouragement and validation - allowing the listener to take the song and apply it to every bad relationship they ever had. Better than any prescription the doctor could give you. Ladies and gentlemen - the overtones! Healing one heart at a time. We thank you boys :)
- How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You ~ take it to the church fellas because you are preaching the good life on this Marvin Gaye standard. Gospel influences abound throughout this interpretation as the guys celebrate how bloody marvelous it is to have the heart of a good woman/man. The sax solo during the middle 8 of the song is Cupid himself manifesting as a riff that gets the juices flowing and the senses stimulated. They make it all sound so easy to do but multiple listens reveal the complexity of the arrangements and the impossibly high quality of those sterling vocals.
- River Deep Mountain High (ft Sam Bailey) ~ I'm still miffed that the Prisoner Cell Block H remake (Wentworth) didn't get ex-prison officer Sam Bailey to record On The Inside for the new series but no matter! Here's the X Factor winner teaming up for a spirited version of the Ike and Tina song (do also check out Erasure's version from their 1988 album The Innocents. Dynamite!) She more than holds her own and it's a giddying experience, almost like the best of the battle rounds on The Voice. Lachie is a man possessed by the spirit of the song which means there is tangible energy pulsing from every nuanced note he delivers. In a way it feels like the magnificent finale to a stage musical - think You Can't Stop The Beat from Hairspray. Completely, deliriously invigorating and leaving you wanting oh so much more.
- Under The Boardwalk ~ Although I find it hard to imagine The Overtones in board shorts and tank tops, they are giving it Stax realness on their interpretation of The Drifters 1964 smash. It's gloriously laxidaisical, like a siren's song inviting you to those hot sandy beaches to watch the waves gentle ripple onto the shore. Incorporating the güiro adds to the authentic feel of the song while the soothing, cooing harmonies (notably those sha la las) are like little drops of manna from heaven. If Moving On is the prescription for a broken heart then The Overtones version of Under The Boardwalk is the finest stress relief that the NHS could ever offer. That last chorus alone deserves an emmy for Outstanding Pop Vocal. Nothing else even comes close...
- Giving Me Soul ~ the final original composition on the album is just dreamy. Delicate yet resonant piano melody and chords buffer gently against the shimmering, puslating percussion. Regrets and sorrow abound in the elegiac verses with a song structure that Sam Smith would kill for; meanwhile the chorus picks up the tempo and adds depth to the instrumental as the song becomes a testament to how one person can change another for the better (even if they don't always appreciate it). I've often felt that The Overtones songs deserve a wider presence on the UK singles charts and Giving Me Soul is the perfect example of how these talented guys can write their own enduring (and endearing) standards. It's timely yet timeless in it's appeal and absolutely charming to hear Lachie go from his instantly recognisable baritone into serendipitous falsettos. Bound to become a fan favourite, this is wonderfully nourishing stuff that will not be ignored. It's giving me soul...
- I Heard It Through The Grapevine ~ fun fact! This Marvin Gaye release on Tamla Motown's record label had the same shade of yellow on the single's 7" vinyl label as the lads do on the cover of the album. With such an array of classics on Sweet Soul Music, it's hard to say which is the most ubiquitous but this song must certainly be in the running. The emotional pain and disbelief is stunningly conveyed through Timmy's vocals whilst the harmonies that outro the chorus accentuate the sorrow that is demanded by the lyrics. It's a good time to note that not one of the songs on the album is merely sung - they really are sweet, soulful performances that sees the chaps tap into their own experiences to give the tunes their own personality and emotion. Like their previous work (Saturday Night At The Movies), it elevates it from covers album to interpretive work of art.
- Rainy Night in Georgia ~ the gospel influences from How Sweet It Is are amped up to the nth degree on this Brook Benton song. It's studied and pensive, evocative and devastating all at once. It actually does feel like a prayer to the gods with the harmonies acting like a duet between Lachie's invocation and the angels sending his pleas to where they need to go. Mesmerising stuff and a phenomenal way to close out this outstanding piece of work.
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