Royal Southern Brotherhood: The Royal Gospel

Royal Southern Brotherhood
The Royal Gospel
(Ruf)
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

This funk/soul/blues/rock outfit’s fourth studio album in four years (there is also a live offering) finds them losing yet another key founding member in bassist Charlie Wooton. That’s on top of replacing both original guitarists Mike Zito and Devon Allman on the act’s previous outing, leaving only drummer Yonrico Scott and frontman vocalist Cyril Neville as original members. Regardless, the basic sound and structure of the quintet’s tough, often swampy roots music hasn’t changed substantially even if the personnel has.

Recording live in New Orleans’ famed Dockside Studios with noted producer David Z at the helm over a short seven day session helps capture the live sparks that fly at a typical Brotherhood show and pushes some of the weaker compositions into the red zone. Clichéd originals with titles such as the opening “Where There’s Smoke There’s Fire,” “Blood is Thicker than Water,” “I’m Comin’ Home” and the always hackneyed “Stand Up” don’t bode well for the proceedings on sight alone. Yet once you dig in, there is plenty of meaty, soulful rock, much of it with a positive, yet not preachy message similar to that of “What’s So Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding” that Neville and his brothers have been preaching for decades.

Neville is the star of this show, and always has been both vocally and compositionally (he co-writes the bulk of the material), but guitarists Tyrone Vaughn and Bart Walker contribute occasional lead singing and tunes that also lean towards the social issues implied by the album’s spiritually oriented title. The five-piece seems particularly comfortable digging into a slow swamp groove as on Pops Staples’ “I Wonder Why,” an inspired choice and one of only two covers, where Neville testifies with churchy call and response backing vocals exuding an approach he has been successful at for the majority of his extensive career. Walker gets songwriting assistance from veteran Gary Nicholson on “Spirit Man” as the group grinds out a strong, sinewy rhythm.

The acoustic, somewhat sappy ballad “Face of Love” tosses more shopworn phrases (“you put a smile on the face of love”) our way but is saved by a stinging guitar solo and, as usual, Neville’s never less than committed vocals. The song is in stark contrast to the harder rock of “Land of Broken Hearts” that also smartly obscures somewhat simplistic words behind the grinding, bluesy groove this band revels in. The husky funk of “Can’t Waste Time” references Neville’s years in the Funky Meters even if it sounds like a throwaway these guys could crank out in their sleep.

You may wish the tunes were more memorable, yet Neville’s gutsy singing, the collective playing and overall rugged/righteous vibe is enough to recommend this to any fan of soulful Southern rock and funk, a genre these guys all but own.