Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on April 2010

Btwn Musik

Considering that I first came across Vinyl Soul busking in front of Harajuku station, it’s appropriate that the Los Angeles-based Latin/R&B group launches its new album with a sample of a Yamanote line exit announcement. Dream—recorded after the band won a video contest—balances punchy Latin pop with delicate acoustic guitar ballads, rabble-rousing messages of social uplift with heartfelt professions of love. Producer-bandleader Nambo tops up the album with flourishes ranging from jazzy, muted trumpets to samples of Martin Luther King to richly embroidered multipart vocal harmonies, giving it a pleasing diversity over its 15 tracks. On the opening number, “Big Green,” the group sings: “Ain’t got a lot to offer except a whole lot of soul.” Add to that hip-hop, jazz, Latin, funk and pop.