Joyous old-school soul and more done right by charismatic Georgia frontman and his shit-hot band
By Ben Wood
A little while ago, an album made its way to Bearded Towers. Brother Wallace‘s debut Electric Love, on ATO Records, sounded like an update on classic 60s soul and R’n’B coming straight from the source. A passionate, gospel-infused vocalist telling stories of passion, faith and betrayal, with funky, propulsive piano grooves, Stax-y horn stabs…all that good stuff. Hooky and anthemic, the arrangements and chord changes make them sound like lost Southern soul classics. Stompers, ballads, mood pieces all present and correct.
But the best live acts use their recorded material as a stepping-off point to take us all somewhere else. Hot and cooking after touring Europe, Wallace and co have the stage presence and confidence to play without a support act. Their one recorded album’s hook-packed three-minute nuggets become the source material for a barnstorming 90-minute set that organically stretches out without feeling padded out or self-indulgent.
Shoreditch’s Courtyard Theatre gig space is a small boxy room, perfect for sweaty communion between performers and audience. I am fairly sure me and my gig buddy walked straight past noted soul buff Paul Weller at the back, looking sharp as ever. The requisite vibes are established by a pre-gig selection of classic soul – Aretha, Marvin, Otis – and a stage full of retro kit and vintage amps.
The band come onstage first, setting up a moody 60s spy film intro before Brother Wallace comes on and launches into the album’s uptempo title track. Sweetly charismatic with funky orange-tinted glasses, the 47-year-old singer dances his ass off, ending up soaked in sweat as he works the crowd like a pro. All those years directing church choirs and bands and teaching music to schoolkids, have led to this, his second vocation ….the ability to get onstage and lift a willing and up-for-it crowd higher.
In this mission, he is aided by a tight and swinging band with stellar chops: two long-haired dudes on all manner of keys and guitar; a tough-looking guy called Brad on warm, nimble, bass; and an on-point drummer who wouldn’t look out of place in Chic. They can lock into a tight groove or stretch out as required and look like they’re having a ball.
Promising us a “night of love”, the singer begins to fulfil his end of the bargain. Who Do You Love summons up the spirit of Otis Redding, with classic chord changes and country-tinged guitar. Gone with the Wind takes the tempo down before the jumping bassline and Hammond-esque organ swirls of Top Shotta tell of a guy who gets sucked into the drug game and ends up “too lost to be found”. It’s then time for a breather as the band slips offstage to make room for a drum solo that grooves enough not to outlast its welcome.
A Patient Man’s chords hint at Satisfaction as the piano lifts us into anthem territory. No God in This Town is a slowie, a “You’re all doomed’ slice of Southern soul sharing lyrical DNA with the Flying Burrito Bros’ Sin City. Some lovely swelling churchy organ, complete with classic stops and starts, make this another set highpoint with Wallace milking it for every drop of emotion.
A midtempo swampy number doubles as a showpiece for the otherwise tastefully restrained guitarist, who bursts out with a cracking slow-burning bluesy solo. Then a funky squelchy groove brings the influences into the early 70s, with hints of Sly and a trippy bit that unexpectedly morphs into skanking quasi-reggae.
Spacey meditation Any Day Now has a psych soul feel, stretching out into a groovy early Funkadelic wigout (always a good thing). Jealous is a slow-burning slice of green-eyed soul, its emotion and gradual build a natural fit for Wallace’s skills.
The album’s bangin’ first single Who’s That tells of seeing his woman with another man but triumphs over circumstance by being funky as shit with a killer piano and wah wah guitar groove. The singer is having a lot of fun, and the audience are too…the classic positive feedback loop which sees both sides of the equation pushing each other onto greater heights.
Let’s Get Together is a gospelly belter pleading for “L.O.V.E. energy / Peace and harmony…” Yep, we’ll have some of that mister! Then after we have been driven to a frenzy, the band heads offstage. But after a set like that, an encore is inevitable and all return for straight-ahead Motown stomper Honey. It’s been an unqualified triumph, the band tipping their collective hat to the golden age of soul but avoiding pastiche due to the originality of Wallace’s vocals and the sense that all involved have grown up on this stuff and it runs through their veins.
But there’s still one final treat left. Bearded’s post-gig pint is enlivened by the appearance at the bar of the man himself and his manager. Grabbing a cheeky couple of tequilas as the kit is packed away, Wallace – open and affable – is happy to chat. He tells Bearded how he loves teaching music to kids and how his performing life inspires his pupils; stresses his love of Georgia hip-hop icons Outkast; pays tribute to The Heavy guitarist Dan Taylor, who produced the album; and expresses his delight at how well the tour has been going. Wallace stresses the importance of live music and his hope that AI will never replace the human need for genuine communication – musical and otherwise. Funny, charming and thoughtful, he is all positivity and embodies the message of the music. Hopefully, bigger venues beckon…but seeing a band this good on a small stage was a treat.
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