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Dutch rock’n’roll-soul trio DeWolff’s new studio album “Muscle Shoals” was recorded at FAME Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, Alabama. It’s a record steeped in soul, rock, gospel, psychedelia and groove. You can immediately hear why this band supported The Black Crowes on tour.
Grammy Award-winning producer Ben Tanner (Alabama Shakes) has kept an element of the raw live performance in the production, mixed with the classic warmth of other Muscle Shoals records (“Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd comes to mind). The album kicks off with “In Love”, a single that contains a vintage fuzz guitar riff and retro keyboards. It’s an uplifting track with a huge sound. As with many trios, Pablo van de Poel (guitar and vocals), Luka van de Poel (drums) and Robin Piso (keyboards) have managed to create a sound that’s bigger than their individual parts.
Other stand-out tracks include “Out of Town”, where the swirling Hammond organ evokes Deep Purple and the upbeat “Ophelia” which has an addictive groove and a fuzzy guitar solo that Scott Holiday of Rival Sons would be proud of. The ballad “Let’s Stay Together” is a simpler composition that showcases Palbo’s soulful voice. He often sounds like the lovechild of Robert Plant and Marvin Gaye. In contrast to the huge sound on several tracks, the organic “Hard To Make A Buck” uses more space. The band is not afraid to break things down and show the skeleton of a song. There are times when the music is meditative and dreamy as well as muscular. The eight minute “Snowbird”, the best and longest track on the album, has progressive elements and seamlessly transitions between different sections, building in intensity towards another rip-roaring guitar solo from Pablo. It’s not just “Snowbird” that flows, the whole album is constructed carefully with songs that flow into each other in a natural order. Retro and yet refreshing, “Muscle Shoals” is one of 2024’s finest records.
5/6 | Anne-Marie Forker
Release date: 6 December 2024
(We interviewed Pablo for our next issue – subscribe here! You can also catch the band on tour in Sweden from 12 December – Malmö Gothenburg, Uppsala and Stockholm.)