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Laura Reed & Deep Pocket: Soul: Music

Here’s a record that initially may seem like it would have limited appeal to Sea of Tranquility readers. After all, it boasts a hybrid of blues, funk, soul and world music that recalls Ben Harper, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu and maybe even Amy Winehouse and Macy Gray. South African native Laura Reed fronts the band with a guitar and sultry voice that grooves right along with her Deep Pocket trio. What makes Soul: Music worth the repeat spins are the thick rhythms and rich harmonies that transcend mere genre categorization. The passion of these four players oozes from every track, and warm vibes dominate. Some of progressive music’s colder collectives could take a cue from this stuff…

Added: January 27th 2008
Reviewer: Michael Popke
Score: 3.5 of 5