Label: Freestyle Records
Released: March 24, 2008
The cover of Touch My Soul is a take-off on Small Faces’ Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake. The song features Steve Marriott’s voice right out of “Afterglow (of Your Love).” But if you’re expecting Lack of Afro (aka Adam Gibbons) to be much like Small Faces, you’ve got another thing coming. Sure, “Afterglow” was a pretty soulful rock song, but “Touch My Soul” is funky with hot horn and organ parts. It takes some clues from the Manchester dance scene that produced the likes of the Stone Roses, using tribal rhythms with sixties pop hooks. Lack of Afro just turns up the funk. “The Outsider” steps a bit more into the 70s, but still retains that same sense of wild dance fun. If it’s a step down, that’s only because “Touch My Soul” is such a hot track.
Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 8/10
If you’re curious about my rating categories, read the description.