‘The Soul Food Store’ is the second album by Matt Pearce & The Munity, following on from 2019’s critically acclaimed ‘Gotta Get Home’. The new album further develops the band’s sound laid down on their debut release as it continues to combine blues, soul, funk and rock in an exciting mix of music and song.
Pearce was an original member of rock band Voodoo Six, so it’s no surprise that the opening guitar riff of ‘Got A Thing Going On’ is raw and almost Neil Young like. What follows though is a total joy. Blazing saxophone and pounding bass lead the listener into a soul fuelled delightfully upbeat soul rocker. In many ways, the tone of the album is set in those three and half minutes. Pearce’s guitar work is fiery and passionate, his vocal is raw and rocky, yet perfectly suited to soul and blues.
‘Promised Land’ and ‘The Soul Food Store’ both hint at Latin influence with samba beats and Santana-esque guitars, perfectly mixing the beat with soul and jazz influences. While ‘All The Gods’ leads with a brooding repeating bass and guitar riffs reminds the listener of The Allman Brother’s ‘Whipping Post’, steering the listener into a cosmic soul rock territory.
‘From Here to The Moon’ is a classic swing driven melodic rocker that sounds like the bastard child of The E Street Band and Gerry Rafferty. Pearce’s Slide guitar work is superb here blending with the harmonic vocals and riffing saxophone. While there is a hint of 60’s beat pop on the gentle laid back ‘Bring It All To Me’.
Beginning life as blues rocker, ‘Don’t Take It So Hard’ like so many other songs on the eleven track album surprises and entertains in equal delight as it evolves from its blues rock roots into stoner rock as melodic guitar, saxophone and vocal harmonies soar and flow together in the mix.
It is almost as if Matt Pearce & The Mutineers dug out all their favourite rock, blues and soul records from the 60’s and 70’s to make this album such is the electric nature of the musical mix. A delight from start to finish ‘The Soul Food Store’ is an incredibly infectious listen that seamlessly blends multiple genres into a vibrant mix of positivity and fun. Without doubt an early contender for album of the year.