Marc Broussard - S.O.S.: Save Our Soul

"Music is what feelings sound like." ~Author Unknown

Today I discovered Marc Broussard, a 25 year old singer from Louisiana. His new album - S.O.S.: Save Our Soul - is funky with a capital F. Even though he looks more like a Viking than a soul singer, Marc has got the goods.

I'm old enough to remember 60's soul music, and I never imagined that a contemporary artist would be able to capture the special energy and emotion of that genre. But I was wrong. S.O.S. is the real thing.

When asked about the message of this album, Marc said "I want to take what was beautiful and right about old-school soul and make it alive again." He added "Soul music grew out of the church, out of gospel, but somewhere along the way it lost its heart. I want to give that heart - the good vibes, the happiness, the love - back to the music and back to the people, whether it's a new generation who've never heard what genuine soul sounds like or listeners who grew up on it."

Wikipedia defines channelling as "The communication of information to or through a person (the channel or medium), from a spirit or other paranormal entity outside the mind (or self) of the channel." If Broussard is channelling on Save Our Soul, then he must have signed up for the Deluxe Spiritual Package, because his covers of Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, and Al Green bullseye the heart pounding excitement of the original artists.

My favorite songs are "Respect Yourself" by Luther Ingram and Mack Rice, and "Yes We Can, Can" by Allen Toussaint. Both are powerfully rhythmic, with lyrics that will rattle around in your head for days. This is one of the few albums where I felt compelled to listen to songs 3 or 4 times before moving on to the next track. Unless you are in a coma, or taking "that long dirt nap" I challenge you to listen to Save Our Soul without moving some part of your body.

S.O.S. is Marc's third recording. In 2005 he released his original CD - Carencro. Check out his music video of Home. This was followed in 2006 by Bootleg to Benefit the Victims of Hurricane Katrina. Both albums capture the essence of Broussard's swamp sound.

Marc's bio discusses his rhythmic roots: "Broussard was born into a musical family, so his "ownership" goes back to his days as a boy hearing his father, Louisiana Hall of Fame guitarist Ted Broussard, (member of the legendary Gulf Coast blue eyed soul band The Boogie Kings) tear through soul nuggets with bands around suburban Carencro. And Marc was singing like the style's founders by the time he was in his teens."

If you want to re-experience the greatness that was soul or if you are just discovering it for the first time, I encourage you to pick up S.O.S.: Save Our Soul. It will lift you up and make you feel good. And that's what soul music is all about.