We’re sailing across unsteady waters, these days, with all indications that rougher seas lie ahead. While Dramamine may help with motion sickness, it’s useless for metaphors such as this; the gut isn’t the issue. The soul is. Too many among us have forgotten—or were never taught—the guiding principles of faith and humanity.
Stone Foundation’s The Revival of Survival is a potent reminder that love and compassion should lead us, not hatred and division. To quote from “How Many Times,” the jazzy opener, “Take my hand/I’ll be your guide.” It’s a slow-mo song that sets the stage—and mood—for what follows, accented by a sax and wordless harmonies. The title track picks up the pace, while the funky groove of “Everything & All I Want,” released as a single last summer, conjures the gritty delights that—if the many Northern Soul documentaries and YouTube clips I’ve watched are accurate—once fueled the dance floors at Wigan Casino and Blackpool Mecca. (Trust me when I say: go down that rabbit hole!)
The throwback beats continue with “Cut Me Loose,” which features Burundian-British soul singer J.P. Bimeni. “Close to Where You Are” incorporates a jazzy element, while “Fix You Up”—as I wrote last summer—is sure to have you dancing around the room. The same’s true for the remainder of the album. For instance, “The Beat I Know”—features Carmy Love and Sheree Dubois—is a sonic wormhole to the late 1970s. “2 Die 4 U,” meanwhile, pumps raw power into the steady rhythm; “When Worlds Collide” continues in the same mode. Smooth-voiced Laville fronts the joyous “Reach Out,” an uptempo blast that again conjures the disco-soul of the 1970s. The album closes with the tasty “Summer Song,” which features Omar on lead vocals.
Last week, as I mentioned yesterday, a friend visited us for several days. While we spent much of our driving time with Bruce Springsteen’s oeuvre as the soundtrack, I treated both her and Diane to The Revival of Survival when we headed out to dinner on Saturday. They enjoyed the emotive vocals, catchy melodies and infectious beats—even those that veered toward disco. (Remember, even the Stones embraced that dance-floor dragon!) Diane, as she’s done before, equated them to Average White Band, while Luanne said she liked the taut rhythms. In short, The Revival of Survival —the group’s 11th album—is a sinewy set sure to hit home with all who give it a listen. It’s funk, soul, R&B, old school, new school, and everything in between, the kind of album that’s great in the car and as great in the home.
The Old Grey Cat 
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