Album Review: Let’s Move by House of Soul
By W Jacarl Melton in Arts & Entertainment on December 28, 2011 9:45 AM
http://dcist.com/2011/12/album_review_house_of_soul_-_lets_m.php

At one point in the history of hip-hop, the idea of a “hip-hop band” was a bit of a stretch given that most people performing and producing the music were sampling, mixing and cutting tracks that already existed for their beats. Groups like Stetsasonic proved having a hip-hop band was a possibility; then The Roots came along and pretty much annihilated the novelty.

House music is similar in that its performance largely eschews live bands for DJs spinning and blending tracks for the dancing masses. Several years back, however, Tortured Soul broke that ceiling and garnered a strong following among the genre’s devotees.

Fronted by bassist Matt Grason, the six piece D.C.-based House of Soul looks to further the acceptance of the live band as a performance medium for the music with their 10-song debut album, Let’s Move.

“Every Day,” a 4/4-rhythm track, serves as a strong introduction. Rochelle Rice provides soulful vocals declaring her thanks for being able to live another day. As with most good house cuts, the percussion pattern and bass line create the atmosphere in which all the other elements exist. “Choices” and “Forever Be Free” play close to this formula which aids in making them all very danceable.

“Anything But Ordinary” is a deviation from the album’s other tracks, putting the synthesizer front-and-center for a more electronic feel. Even with the absence of a true bass line, the track possesses enough of a bounce to keep it from being pedestrian.

In yet another break, “Push It” and “Sunflower” are instrumental jams. “Sunflower” in particular sounds as though it could have been taken directly from the playlist of Roy Ayers or another of the 1970s’ jazz funk movement’s titans. While the track doesn’t necessarily fit preconceived notions of house, it’s a hat tip to a bygone era that reminds us how music exists on a continuum as opposed to in a vacuum and therefore influences from the past are free to expose themselves.

Let’s Move is a solid debut. While House of Soul aren’t pioneers in the band-based house music field, they are going down a road not many have traveled recently. The execution of all the players involved and Grason’s production skills would be graded extremely well on any scale, let alone for an independent, debut project. And for all of this, House of Soul should be commended, and played on repeat.