Boasting a seasoned crew of co-conspirators, New Orleans'
the Revivalists make clear their intentions on the affable and earworm-heavy
Take Good Care. Recorded and co-written with
Dave Cobb (
Sturgill Simpson),
Andrew Dawson (
Kanye West), and
Dave Bassett (
Vance Joy), the eight-piece have sculpted their third studio long player from the same red clay as its predecessor (2015's bayou-blasted
Men Amongst Mountains), but
Take Good Care crystallizes the group's rootsy sound into commercial grade soul-pop with stadium-sized ambitions. Frontman
David Shaw's bluesy croon is sometimes a dead ringer for
Ray Lamontagne's -- and occasionally
Paul Rodgers' -- but he finds plenty of nooks and crannies to explore within the band's swampy, Big Easy gait. Opener "Otherside of Paradise," with its rich, gospel-style harmonies, fingerpicked electric guitar, and wistful atmospherics, is a bit of red herring, as what follows is a familiar, yet versatile amalgamation of upbeat New Orleans soul and R&B and radio-ready pop that evokes
Maroon 5 by way of
the Band. Punchy and immediate, the 14-track set bristles with intent, yet always finds the time to savor the groove, especially on instant crowd pleasers like "Celebration," "You and I," and "All My Friends." A short detour into beefy,
Black Keys garage rock ("Future") provides a bit of extra flavor, as does the frequent appearance of a Stax-sized horn section, but
Take Good Care rolls out like a pepper-forward home cooked meal, delivering plenty of sustenance and just enough heat to keep the dancefloor filled. ~ James Christopher Monger
