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Album Wed May 22 2013
JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound Continue to Evolve Their Funk with New Album
I've been following the rising star of Chicago neo-soulsters JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound for a while now, and (besides being one of my favorite bands with an ampersand) I'm not ashamed to say the band always gets my booty out on the dance floor. With their new album Howl out this week on Bloodshot Records, the band takes on the next phase of their musical journey, with a somewhat more mature and (not a little bit) darker point-of-view.
The album's debut single, "Rouse Yourself" is at first a catchy tune, with a soulful darker side hiding in the lyrics. (Check it out for yourself, below.)
The songs on Howl continue the band's modern interpretation of soul and funk stylings, but without the retro homage you could feel radiating off the band's 2011 debut Want More. The band entertains with catchy rhythms while presenting a deeper lyrical layer just perfect for the discerning indie music set. Tunes like "Ordinary" and "Before You Die" (that has the catchy/creepy refrain "Before you die / girl, give me your number") are dark and serious for pop tunes, but man I can't keep but tapping my toes. Is that weird? (Nah.) In other places, the album takes time out for introspection, like in "River" which feels like a self-examination. "The river is varied / it goes from high to low" could be talking about the subject's emotional state, or the process of writing the song itself. And right after it, "Cold" could nearly be a Broadway tune, with a singular piano behind Brooks' vocals. You can almost feel the heat from the single spotlight on the stage. "We're afraid of what they'll say," Brooks croons, "I've built the thickest skin that the world has ever known." Is this song about a love affair, or a hope for musical and professional acceptance? Indeed, the title track "Howl" seems to dabble in these themes as well.
There's enough thoughtfulness in JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound's new songs to keep them interesting over multiple plays, and plenty of talent behind the instruments (which definitely includes Brooks' pipes) to keep you hitting repeat on the album. I'm really looking forward to hearing this one on the radio all summer while cruising around Chicago. Just don't mind my singing along if you pull up beside me.
JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound will celebrate their album release with a Saturday night show at Mayne Stage, 1328 W. Morse Ave. Yoko And The Oh No's, The Ye Ye's, and Absolutely Not open the show. Lobby doors open at 7:30pm, music starts at 9pm. Tickets are $28. Show is 18+.
BG / May 23, 2013 1:23 PM
I like the article but Howl is actually the band's third LP. The Beat of Our Own Drum (on Rabbit Factory records) is first and Want More is second (Bloodshot Records).