Huey Lewis And The News – Soulsville(W.O.W. / Proper)
Nine years since their last record, Huey Lewis And The News return with an album of Stax soul covers, which isn’t too much of a departure; Lewis has been playing these songs, or songs in this style, since his days gigging around the bars of San Francisco back in the mid ‘70s. Lewis’ enthusiasm for the material is one of the reasons that Soulsville works so well, though another important element is the song selection, which generally avoids the bleedin’ obvious. Upbeat numbers like “Little Sally Walker” and “”Never Like This Before” allow The News to show off their chops, though they’re in fine form throughout the album, and appear to understand the material just as well as their leader. Whether Soulsville will strike a chord with younger listeners is anyone’s guess. Fortunately for Lewis and The News, there’s no shortage of older fans to pick up the slack, and they’ll find much to enjoy here.
www.hueylewis.com
Simon M.
