The Freedom Affair US Vinilo y CD

Review: The Freedom Affair's second album lives in the sound of Southern soul. Recorded in four whirlwind days at Memphis' Royal Studios, the Missouri-based band doubles down on grit and grace, bringing their KC-honed fire into the same space that birthed Al Green's classics. Opening with 'With You', the trio of Paula Saunders, Seyko Groves and Shon Ruffin set the tone: unflinching, full-bodied vocal leads that carry across simmering arrangements. 'Picking Up The Pieces' and 'Tell Me I'll Be Yours' offer different shades of heartache and healing, while 'The Water' and 'Don't You Wanna Love Me' show off the band's dynamic range i from sweeping gospel tones to raw, handclap-heavy funk. Horn section veterans Brett Jackson and Pete Carroll deliver tight, melodic lines in a single take, winding through a rhythm section made even more cohesive by Chris Hazelton's switch to Hammond B3. 'Be Who You Are' and 'Anchor' feel like declarations of purpose, soulful and sure-footed, while the closer 'Coming Home' brings it all back to love i and to Royal's vintage tape warmth. Not just revivalist, but reverent and radiant, this is soul with some new stories to tell.