CD REVIEW: DEREK DAVIS – Revolutionary Soul

Label: Apocalypse Records

Release Date: March 7, 2017

Rating: 7.5/10

Reviewed by: Todd “Toddstar” Jolicoeur

The latest release from Derek Davis caught my eye as it was billed as the latest from the lead singer of Babylon A.D.  I dug the band’s music and was hoping to get a little more of that lost rock and roll pumping through my speakers.  This isn’t your momma’s Babylon A.D. – not even close!  Disc opener “Revolutionary Soul” delivers a heavy R&B and Funk groove from the first note to the last.  The music is solid and the vocals wrap themselves nicely within the groove.  “Rapture” is next and has a different feel and groove than the opening track, but it doesn’t fall far from the same track musically.  The vocals help tie the tracks together even when the musical landscape varies.  This has more of a rock vibe than a lot of the tracks on the disc.  “Think About It” is another rock track that seems to heavily laced with a funk groove, thanks to the guitars and Derek’s vocals.  The chorus is catchy and should go over well in a live situation.  “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down & Out” is a rock guitar-filled version of the Jimmy Cox blues track.  The powerful vocals from Davis combined with solid guitar work give this song a bit of punch and attitude.  The Bobby Womack classic “Woman’s Gotta Have It” comes across with a cool vibe that permeates the song from the minute you hear Derek’s voice, especially at the chorus.  The musical accompaniment is strong and carries the track.  “Picture Of Love” is one of the more contagious tracks on the disc, thanks to the groove of the tempo, the guitars and vocals that play off of each other throughout the track.

“Valerie” is an interesting twist on the Amy Winehouse track, giving the track a different sound that allows Davis to tweak the feel of the track and make it his own without totally stripping down the original.  “Love & Abuse” buries any notion of a rock song popping up any time soon.  The songs heavy bottom end mixed with the singers raspy vocals takes this song straight into R&B territory with no turning back.  “Vicious Heart” opens up with a cool bit of percussion mixed up with an acoustic guitar that gives the disc a slightly different direction.  There is something about this track that hits great one on listen and misses with another – maybe it’s the lyrics or mood of the track, but it comes off different every time I listen to it.  “King Of Fools” is one of my favorite songs on the disc – the way the vocals swirl with the guitars and rhythm section in the mix is cool, while the lyrics strike me and take me to memories through my life, giving me an emotional connection to the track.  “Stop! Wait A Minute” comes across with a lightly twisted sound and feel that deviates from the path cut by most of the disc previously.  The cadence and vibe don’t bring the same precision as other songs here.  Closer “All The Roads” has a guitar line woven through it that takes this song to another level.  The songs vocals are solid and deep, especially on the chorus.  This disc may not be a collection of tracks ready for Babylon A.D., but they weren’t a bad deviation from the sound and expectation.

Tracklisting: Revolutionary Soul – Rapture – Valerie – Think About It – Love & Abuse – Nobody Knows You When You’re Down & Out – Vicious Heart – Woman’s Gotta Have It – King Of Fools – Picture Of Love – Stop! Wait A Minute – All The Roads

DEREK DAVIS LINKS:

OFFICIAL SITE

FACEBOOK

REVOLUTIONARY SOUL – ITUNES

Category: CD Reviews