Durand Jones & The Indications

Soul music can not be faked. You either have soul or you don’t. Heartache, troubles, misfortune and the like make for good soul music. There are plenty of bands out there claiming to be soul, or god forbid, retro soul. However there are few that can pull it off. Daptone and Truth and Soul, Soul Fire, the godfathers and mothers of the rejuvenation of the genre have been doing it for years. Always evolving and bringing the genre back from the past has opened the eyes and ears to many performers who realized just how good soul music was, and still is, if done right. One of the shining stars for almost 10 years, putting out solid funk and soul 45s and Lps is Colemine Records. They may joke that the label is run by morons, but seriously, despite their blatant self deprecation, their artists and records are top notch. The latest soul sensation on the label is Durand Jones & The Indications. With a previously released 45 “Smile” on the label (and the fire B-side “Tuck N Roll”), the full length just picks up and completely smashes it where the 45 left off. From the heavy drums of “Make A Change” to slow chugger falsetto of “Is It Any Wonder”, Durand Jones lays it down. There is plenty of heat in between as well. “Groovy Baby” is a Stax fueled trip to Memphis and back while “Now I’m Gone” blues influenced soul to the maximum. Durand Jones can sing. Let’s rephrase, he can wail. The embodiment of late 60’s soul music, Jones, backed by the impeccable Indications run through eight heat rocks of soul. From slow, heartache type ballads to heavy, funky soul of tracks like the aforementioned “Tuck N Roll”, this will soon be in rotation in your favorite records. For those who have been following this man’s career on the Colemine label, this is where he’s unleashed to the whole world. You will hear his name up there with many that came before him and made solid soul music. A perfect way to start any day, not just the weekend, get some Durand Jones & The Indications in your life, you won’t regret it.