The Reverend Shawn Amos: Soul Brother No. 1 Review
The Reverend Shawn Amos has returned with Soul Brother No. 1, an exciting new 10-track album that feels at once new and familiar. For his latest album, Amos spent some time reflecting on the soul, funk and blues music that inspired him in his youth, a study evident in the 1970s-era styles that reverberate throughout the album and the nod to James Brown included in its title. The son of the late Famous Amos cookie brand founder also deliberated about identity and self for this album, giving the collection added senses of determination and jubilation that shine through in its most powerful moments.
Released in May via Immediate Family Records, listeners have had a couple of months now to absorb the music and listen carefully to its messages—and judging by the positive reaction Amos has received from fans and critics alike, Soul Brother No. 1 is clearly a collection that resonates with many.
The album kicks off with “Revelation,” a song on which Amos indicates an eagerness to begin communicating with listeners as quickly as possible as he starts singing less than 10 seconds into the introduction. The thrumming bass on the track makes it one of the album’s heaviest musically, kicking the project off on a bluesy tone as Amos puts his talents as a skilled harmonica player to use. From there, Amos shifts into a contemplation about the search for love and fulfillment on “Stone Cold Love,” a bouncy track that feels destined for rock radio play.
Next on Soul Brother No. 1 is a heavy hitter called “What It Is to Be Black,” a song that Amos described in press materials for the album as the project’s “heart.” The lyrics contend with the idea of and commitment to freedom as the song’s gospel elements heighten the intensity with help from the Nashville-based W. Crimm Singers. It’s a gorgeous and powerful song, an anthem for Soul Brother No. 1 that feels celebratory, even as Amos sings of being “always amazed at the lack of insistence that we all will be free when we take freedom seriously.”
Amos retains the gospel sound on his next song by teaming up with the McCrary Sisters for “Back to the Beginning,” his album’s second single. The song taps into a classic blues tradition with its call and response pattern, a rich style that punctuates Amos’ lyrics and rewards the way he quotes “Amazing Grace” toward the end. Another of the album’s singles, “It’s All Gonna Change (For the Better),” follows as a funk-driven Motown-style track that is as fun as it is positive, at once triumphant and determined.
The title track and Brown-inspired “Soul Brother No. 1” launches the second half of the album as one of its most fun tracks. Listening to the song feels like stepping back in time as it embraces funk and the kind of musical flourishes that Brown himself loved adding to his own performances. The joy on “Soul Brother No. 1” is sharply contrasted with the devastated loneliness on “Circles,” a tone driven home by Amos’ wailing vocals and sorrowful harmonica performance. The pace picks up again on “Hammer,” a speedy track that clocks in at 2:30 and begins with a few moments of distortion before settling into its rock-leaning sound.
The album winds down with a cover of Sly and the Family Stone’s “Don’t Call Me N*****, Whitey,” with Amos’ version staying true to the distorted vocals of the original with help from his frequent duet partner Denise Carite. The cover reveals what one of Amos’ biggest influences heading into this album was as he pays tribute to the genre-blending soul group before closing out his album with “Things Will Be Fine.” With Carite joining him on vocals again, the album’s final song signs off on a hopeful note, with Amos assuring listeners, “Things will be fine, if we let it.”
With Soul Brother No. 1, Amos presents a beautiful collection that embraces themes of race and identity with honest and thoughtful lyrical beats. The album transitions between rock, blues, soul and funk with ease, putting Amos’ expert harmonica skills on display in ways that enhance each song and underline important messages. From start to finish, Soul Brother No. 1 feels like it’s exactly what Amos set out to create—and it’s so satisfying to hear how it came together.
The Review: 8/10
Can’t Miss Tracks
– What It Is to Be Black
– Back to the Beginning
– It’s All Gonna Change (For the Better)
– Soul Brother No. 1
The Big Hit
– Soul Brother No. 1
