It might have come out in 2007, but
S.O.S.: Save Our Soul is a record very much grounded in the soul music of the 1960s and 1970s, both in material and sound. To begin with, all but one of the songs is a cover of a '60s or '70s soul tune. The arrangements have a very vintage sound as well, singer
Marc Broussard and multi-instrumentalist/background singer
Calvin Turner being the only constant factors in a rotating cast of players. Give
Broussard credit for not opting, for the most part, for overdone standards; there are covers of a few big hits here (
Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues [Make Me Wanna Holler],"
the Staple Singers' "Respect Yourself,"
the Pointer Sisters' "Yes We Can, Can"), but also interpretations of lesser-known songs associated with
Stevie Wonder,
Bobby Womack,
Rance Allen,
Al Green, and
Blood, Sweat & Tears. On its own terms, it's an OK record;
Broussard's a good (if not too distinctive) singer, and the musical grooves are solid. If you made a mixtape of the originals, though, it would blow this out of the water, making this an inessential tribute to vintage soul that's rather pointless except as a showcase of
Broussard's skill in carrying on the tradition. ~ Richie Unterberger