Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

Recently reissued on vinyl by Old Bear Records, this 1996 debut album from Seattle-based alternative Christian band Soulfood 76 is well worth revisiting. Chances are you may have blinked and missed it first time around but, thanks to the four piece's retro sound - much like contemporaries Ocean Colour Scene and Kula Shaker who themselves were doffing the cap to yesteryear bands like the Small Faces and Golden Earring, this little curiosity feels simultaneously fresh and timeless. Chock full of fuzz basses, wah wah-infested guitar lines and boxy drums, Soulfood 76 evidently knew what they were doing with the likes of the laidback funk of "Huggy Bear" and the potboiler "Trash" sticking in the memory whilst the stripped back "Purple" showcases what they were capable of when all the chorus and flange effects were turned off. Soulfood 76 were never better than when they were getting down and gritty with the likes of "Black Light Poster" and "Solid Gold" tapping into the grunge sounds of fellow Seattleites Nirvana whilst the impassioned vocals of Daniel Fairbanks - swinging from ever so vulnerable one moment to in your face powerful the next - allows brief glimpses of the group's Christian faith to break through with sincerity in the likes of "Windows" and "Gloria's Gone". Soulfood 76 would go on to release only one more album making this reissue all the more important in terms of highlighting the work of this quality footnote band.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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