Listeners are treated to an array of songs that recall some of the best of the Isley Brothers ("Hard Knocks"), Al Green ("Real Good Thing"), The Temptations ("Power's In The People"), Aretha Franklin ("Man For Life"), and The Spinners ("Saying I Love You"). Compared to Broussard's last album of new originals, Carcencro, his songs have taken quantum leaps in depth and maturity.
Even when taking on the topic of social strife as he does with "Power," he comes across convincing as an urban warrior from the Nixon era, not some South Louisiana country kid of today.
"Real Good Thing" is a slice of sunny, sweet soul that you can't get enough of. His duet with country queen Lee Ann Rimes "When It's Good," with it's 50/50 hybrid of country and swamp pop fits both singers perfectly and doesn't forced at all like star-studded duets tends to be. The mid-tempo strut "Why Should She Wait" is a semi-duet of sorts, with strong backing vocals supplied by pop songstress Sara Bareilles.
The title cut "Keep Coming Back" is a funky, horn-driven groover that's full of sass in Broussard's hands. "Going Home" is a country-flavored folk-pop that deviates from the soul formula but Broussard can switch modes so effectively, it doesn't really matter.
Marc renders the gentle ballads just as well as the uptempo numbers. "Evil Things" is delivered with the heartbroken pleading that befits the tune. "Another Night Alone" is a fine example of the lost art of quiet storm music.
If there were any silly notions that Broussard's world-class voice might have come courtesy of Auto-tune, he dispels that definitively on the final track. For "Evangeline Rose," (live version in video below) he's stuck in a big room armed with just an acoustic guitar, a mic and his talented throat, perfectly delivering a heart-felt ballad with nothing felt missing.
So, feel free to discount my review because of local bias; if you are a fan of good, old-school Stax soul tastefully updated for today, though, you're very likely to find yourself biased for Marc Broussard and his Keep Coming Back album, too. You miss out on this one at your own risk.
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