[rating=6.00]
The Royal Southern Brotherhood certainly don’t lack confidence on The Royal Gospel. Quite the contrary, as the title suggests, the band’s offering unvarnished truth(s) in musical form.
The trade-off in vocals between guitarist Bart Walker and percussionist/vocalist Cyril Neville imparts some genuine emotion into the cliches within “Where There’s Smoke There’s Fire” and “Blood Is Thicker Than Water.” Meanwhile, the rhythm workout centered around drummer Yonrico Scott (formerly of The Derek Trucks Band) boosts the energy of the track beyond the prosaic lyrics as well as obvious roots of the tandem guitar harmonies (The Allman Brothers Band).
“I’ve Seen Enough to Know” has the bonafide feel of soul as befits the lineage of the Neville family. And perhaps that’s the best way to hear Royal Southern Brotherhood, that is, as homage to the seminal influences of Dixie rock rather than a band set on originality. Such perception certainly mitigates a certain sameness to this album that sets in around “I’m Comin’ Home” where the heavy mid-tempos bog down, not so much in the arrangements, as a lack of spark in the musicianship (despite guest keyboardist Norman Caesar’s Hammond B3 which adds color to the mix).
But that might again be traced to the material, not all of which, to be fair, emanates from the band. With a good third of the dozen numbers from sources outside the Brotherhood, there’s an obvious opportunity to contrast their own originals via the choice of covers such as “Face of Love:” the acoustic guitars that dominate the arrangement are as refreshing as is the logic of the lyrics, rooted in the pop tradition preserved by co-author Michael McDonald (Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan).
To be fair, the somewhat tentative air of The Royal Gospel may derive from personnel changes that have occurred since 2014. The presence of Jimmie Vaughan’s son, Tyrone (nephew of Stevie Ray), compensates for Devon Allman’s absence from the lineup and not only maintains RSB’s ties to the South but offers tangible assets as well in the form of the slide guitar that enlivens “Spirit Man.”
Particularly given the relatively hackneyed funk in closing cuts here, “Hooked on the Plastic” and “Can’t Waste Time.” Producer of The Royal Gospel, David Z, might better have encouraged this band to focus more on their blues and soul roots in order to maintain the elevated energy level with which this records ends on “Stand Up.”
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