Straight Company - Plugged In

Tuesday 1st October 1996
Straight Company - Plugged In
Straight Company - Plugged In

STYLE: R&B
RATING 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 6254-6109
LABEL: Benson 8441840662
FORMAT: CD Album
ITEMS: 1
RRP: £4.99

Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

Produced by Bill Baumgart and Dan Cleary, you can guess that Straight Company have the musical muscle to make an impression and you'd be right! Mainman Jesse Murrah has a good line in catchy songs and the music here is part acappella, part soul. The five-piece vocals are very strong, at times veering into classic Take Six territory with wall of sound backing vocals and mouth percussion! My favourite is "Didn't It Rain" which tells the story of Noah, in jungle style - not jungle as in dance music, I mean jungle as in animal noises! Plenty of atmosphere and room for fun! Only one thing spoils things. '90s bands should be legally prevented from attempting covers of classic, quasi-gospel soul songs. Straight Company are the latest to attempt "Respect Yourself (memorably butchered last year by both Big Tent Revival AND Robert Palmer). It's impossible to come close the the Staple Singers original so why embarrass yourself guys? Other than that, this is soulful vocal heaven. If you're into Bobby McFerrin, Take Six, etc, this slab of soulful rhythms and vocal extravaganzas will put a broad grin on your face.

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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