Tedeschi Trucks Band

Future Soul

Fantasy Records

Certainly, more than a few shook their heads in perplexity at first sight of the comic book cover art for Tedeschi Trucks Band’s Future Soul album. Husband and wife Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi depicted as superheroes amid an alien invasion? Not expected from their 12-piece group of maestro musicians and singers. Why, though? Marvin Gaye is illustrated as superman on the cover of his Super Hits album. The Byrds, all the way to Joe Satriani, have employed comic strip artists to make a point. The point here, is that the dynamic duo leads their band into a winning battle to save real, soulful music from an invasion of AI. Plus, once one hears these eleven songs, the overall vibe screams “We certainly have fun, but we are dead serious about this music!” Tedeschi Trucks Band’s sixth studio album contains continuous, captivating variety drawn from rhythm and blues, soul, and rock music styles of the past, blended ingeniously with modern awareness and techniques. Mike Elizondo, a protégé of Dr. Dre, and known for his hitmaking work with 50 Cent and Eminem, produced the sessions. That choice too may have startled some, initially.

While listening to Future Soul however, it becomes readily apparent that the members of Tedeschi Trucks Band knew exactly what they were going for. Every succinct song, all between three and just under five minutes long, was designed to be distinctive, addictive, and much more widely appealing.

A snappy Trucks guitar figure sets up a shakin’ R&B groove for “Crazy Cryin’,” which wisely opens the album in familiar character. Tedeschi displays her striking mix of toughness and elegance as a vocalist, buoyed wonderfully by the band’s trio of backing singers, comprised of Mike Mattison (the song’s author along with Trucks), Alecia Chakour, and Mark Rivers. The tune instantly draws in listeners familiar with Tedeschi Trucks Band. But the sunny, soulful pop of Mattison’s “I Got You” sets the hooks even deeper. Tedeschi’s joyousness, the “doo doo” harmonies, sprays of lively horns by sax player Kebbi Williams, trombonist Elizabeth Lea, and trumpeter Emmanuel Echem, and Trucks’ sparkling solo that at once evokes Derek and the Dominos and the Allman Brothers Band, could not be more charming. It is impossible to imagine anyone—fan or otherwise—not being taken by it.

“Who Am I” then unfolds on a lovely Trucks guitar passage that opens into a world of glorious beauty. A collaboration between Trucks, Tedeschi, Mattison, and keyboardist/vocalist Gabe Dixon, the song expresses unwavering devotion between two people and was purportedly inspired by Tedeschi and Trucks’ journey together. The cadence of it may be reminiscent of Mattison’s earlier masterpiece, “Midnight in Harlem,” but the song stands magnificently on its own, and features one of Trucks’ most zealous displays of guitar playing. In fact, although Trucks plays more lead guitar than the slide style that he made his name on, and his solos are unusually compact, his one-of-a-kind talent shines through incredibly successfully throughout the album.

“Hero” hits next, and it hits with a hard, grungy punch. The concussive power of the performance, anchored by bassist Brandon Boone, and drummers Tyler “Falcon” Greenwell and Isaac Eady, calls to mind Courtney Love and Hole, tempered with soulful, soaring precision, and boosted by a heady jam to bring it home. Written by Greenwell, Tedeschi, and Trucks, the song takes a daring swing for the masses that results in a grand slam.

The pulse of the album calms again for the pastoral lilt of “What in the World,” written by Paul Olsen, Mattison’s bandmate in his side project, Scrapomatic. The beautiful song presents the most tender and impressive Tedeschi vocal on the album. Picking up the pace significantly, “Future Soul” then feels like a rocket ship ride simultaneously straight up, and back to the 1970s on its fat, crunchy riffs like those that Foghat used to blow people to the moon with. Tedeschi shreds with her guitar in the song, cutting directly through to the soul inside that she pleads for all to possess and enjoy in life. Tedeschi has come a long way not only as one of our generation’s finest vocalists, but as a blues guitarist supreme. She delivers the potent vocal and a particularly spicy guitar solo during Dixon’s hypnotic blues shuffle, “Devil Be Gone.”

Four additional, very dissimilar songs round out the set, including the southern-funky, Mattison-penned and sung “Under the Knife.” The sole misstep occurs, in this writer’s opinion, with the too-syrupy, Beatles-inspired “Be Kind,” sung by Dixon. A small gripe because otherwise, Future Soul’s irresistible kaleidoscope of melodies flies by in what seems like no time. But this 42-minute thrill ride, with catchy hooks at every sharp turn, was designed to be relished repeatedly. All missions accomplished.

Tom Clarke for MAS

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