Posted on Sun, Dec. 27, 2009
New Recordings
Country/Roots
The Revelations
Featuring Tre Williams
The Bleeding Edge
(Decision ***)
In the liner notes to their first album - it expands on the EP Deep Soul - the Revelations urge listeners to check out "the classic Southern soul artists" who inspired the group - from Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett to Al Green and Percy Sledge.
The thrust of The Bleeding Edge, however, is more urban and contemporary than Southern and old-school. The ballad-heavy set leans more toward smooth refinement than gospel-rooted grit. In Tre Williams, though, the Revelations have a versatile vocalist who emotes with the depth and power of the group's role models. He grabs your attention from the start with the rock-edged swagger of "Stay Free" (we wish there was more in this vein), and keeps it through the pleading desperation of "Let's Straighten It Out," the intense joy of "Because of You," and a slow-burn take on Carole King's "It's Too Late," in which Williams and company breathe new life into the soft-rock classic.
- Nick Cristiano
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