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Apr 05, 2019 Web Exclusive By Haydon Spenceley

“It’s still in San Diego/You can hear a baby cry, as the trains to New York City go thundering down the line.” What a couplet with which to begin an album. You feel yourself settling in to a comfortable, smooth funk and soul reverie as Durand Jones’ vocals are delightful and keening in equal measure. And then comes the kicker—“it’s morning in America, but I can’t see the dawn” is the repeated vocal riff as his tour of the States takes in scenes both serene and frightening, before the track concludes with a gorgeous guitar solo from Kyle Houpt.

Elsewhere, “Circles” and “Court of Love” tread more traditional soul ground. The former is propelled by a great bass riff and some gorgeous keyboard flourishes, while the latter is a slow groove full of romance. Later, the driving “What I Know About You” comes as a pleasant change of pace and “How Can I Be Sure” rolls along with a beautiful gait as the falsetto vocals of drummer Aaron Frazer come to the fore. Throughout the record, the unusual prominence given to guitar and strings gives it a fresh feel that is sure to please discerning listeners. The challenge for an album of this ilk is to avoid the clichéd and having each track somewhat indistinguishable from the next. Durand Jones & The Indications manage that admirably here, but it will be interesting to see how they develop or widen their palette on future releases.

This record is something of a throwback, in the best sense. It evokes both ‘60s and ‘70s soul, whilst at the same time calling to mind the work of people like Charles Bradley (with less vocal intensity). If you’re looking for the next great soul band and you’re up for occasionally being challenged by well-aimed socially conscious lyrics, this is the album for you. (www.durandjonesandtheindications.com)

Author rating: 7/10