The Crimestoppers

On The Case

Music Makers Foundation

The Crimestoppers, part of the legendary Vines family of gospel musicians, have quietly become Music Maker Studio’s go-to backing vocal group. If you’ve heard anything recorded at the new studio in Fountain, North Carolina, chances are you’ve already heard them lending their voices to albums by fellow partner artists like Albert White and Leonard “Lowdown” Brown. Rooted in generations of eastern North Carolina gospel tradition, Anthony “Amp” Daniels, his daughter KeAmber Daniels, and niece Christy Moody come together here as a powerful vocal unit. On On The Case, the trio steps away from the sacred soul of their family groups and dives headfirst into straight-up soul, drawing from the spirit of Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke, and The Staple Singers.

Backing them is a deeply funky band led by Jimbo Mathus, a fellow Music Maker artist who first rose to prominence with Squirrel Nut Zippers. Mathus wrote all nine songs on the album and co-produced the project, giving the record a tight, unified feel. The band features guitarists Scott “Paco” Goolsby, Kirk Russell, and Mathus himself; bassist John Kveen; drummers Russell and Mathus; with Mathus also handling keyboards. It’s a lean but muscular lineup that knows when to push and when to let the voices shine.

The album opens with “Body Shop,” as the trio invites the listener in with the chant, “It’s a body shop… get your groove on, it’s a body shop… get your blues on, there’s a lot goin’ on.” Right away, the Crimestoppers establish their chemistry and set the tone for the record’s gritty, joyful soul.

On “Shackled & Chained,” they chime, “Sometimes I wonder… from these shackles of love, I don’t want to be tied down, shackles and chains of love… that’s what keeps holdin’ me,” blending heartbreak and groove with ease.

“Soul Provider” puts the vocalists front and center as they chant, “He’s my soul provider, la, la, la, la, I’m walkin’ so close… he what I need,” riding atop a standout bass line from Kveen that anchors the track.

“Sneaky On The Weekends” finds the trio groaning, “Everybody knows, let it be what it be… don’t want to go home, but we can’t stay here,” capturing that late-night, last-call tension perfectly.

On “I Ain’t Feelin’ It,” they lay down boundaries with attitude, singing, “Do what you wanna do, say what you wanna say… it doesn’t matter anyway, I ain’t feelin’ it, stay away from my home.”

The emotional core of the album may be “God Knows I Tried,” where the trio cries out, “God knows I tried, tried so hard to treat you right… been so lonesome since my baby been gone.” It’s raw, honest, and deeply felt.

“Possession” turns the intensity up as the Crimestoppers shout, “Everybody’s talkin’ about what’s goin’ on… you got possession of my soul,” while “Dirty Hustlin’” brings street-level grit with the line, “All my friends in the street at night… gotta find my baby, see what shape she’s in.”

The album closes on a hopeful note with “I Got A Love,” as the trio croons, “I got a love, ain’t gonna suffer no more… I got somebody,” offering a satisfying sense of resolution.

For thirty years, the Music Maker Foundation has worked to preserve and promote the musical traditions of the American South. Since 1994, the foundation has partnered with senior roots musicians living in poverty, helping sustain their day-to-day needs while rebuilding careers that might otherwise have been lost. On The Case brings Anthony “Amp” Daniels, KeAmber Daniels, and Christy Moody out from the background and squarely into the spotlight, where these three stellar singers clearly belong.

Richard Ludmerer

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