To say they don’t make ‘em like this anymore is an understatement. Charles Wilson steps over to Severn for an outing that features glorious horns, subtle yet stirring strings, burbling keys, and stinging guitar, all in support of a honey-smooth yet gritty voice that simply oozes passionate, old-school soul.
Wilson’s last outing, released on Chicago-based Delmark Records, was an excellent collection that seemed a little out of place on that label’s blues-oriented roster. The good folks at Maryland-based Severn Records, though, seem intent on keeping a classic sound alive – not preserved, mind, but alive.
There are no synthesizers on Troubled Child, nor is Wilson auto-tuned to robotic perfection. Sound is pristine but decidedly organic, and Severn’s house band is one of the finest around. Led by bassist and co-producer Steve Gomes, old friends Robb Stupka (drums) and Benjie Porecki (piano and organ) play with an intuitive empathy, while ‘Monster’ Mike Welch (yeah, he’s good) supplies exquisitely tasteful guitar throughout. Horns and strings, arranged by the great Willie Henderson, are steeped in the sounds of 70s soul, woven skillfully and seamlessly into the texture of each tune.
Wilson, too, is a soul singer in the classic sense, gliding effortlessly from a smooth croon to a hoarse shout with ease. Most of the material is contemporary and firmly fixated on love, with Gomes contributing a pair of originals. The late little Milton was Wilson’s uncle, and included is a fine reading of Denise LaSalle’s tribute, “Somebody’s Tears,” while the joyous soul makeover of Bob Marley’s “Is This Love” works on every level. The title track is a moody and thought-provoking slice of urban reality, with an arrangement that shimmers like neon on rain-soaked streets.
Instrumental contributions are uniformly excellent (Porecki and Welch are both brilliant), and Wilson’s pipes are the equal of any. But it’s the skill and craft of Mitchell that pulls things together, the way the layered horns and strings alternate between balance and contrast that gives the disc such delightful depth. Carefully orchestrated yet bursting with life, Mitchell’s arrangements tread the line between musical sophistication and reckless, soulful abandon with unerring ease, eminently danceable yet musically intriguing.
An absolutely stellar outing, this one sounds like a classic right from the start!
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