Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes: Soultime - 2015

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As with the previous album, nothing rally sticks in my head here, and good old Southside's voice is sounding a lot older now, unsurprisingly. Hearts Of Stone this album isn't, unfortunately, much as I so wanted it to be. 

This is exemplified on the otherwise ballsy opener, Spinning. Musically, it still blasts the cobwebs away, though. All I Can Do and Didn’t Waste My Time are both corkers, though, with Southside soaring like a male angel, taking us higher, particularly on the latter. Check out that harmonica. Horns, harp and voice. Asbury Park Heaven.

Looking For A Good Time is typical Southside brassy and lively soul. Words Fail Me is more of a slowie and Walking On A Thin Line is one of those mysterious grinders Southside does so well. Love the bassline, as I so often do. Klank is Southside’s first instrumental, as far as I am aware. You can guess what it’s like - big and brassy, featuring some great organ too. 

Ain’t Nobody’s Bizness is a fine serving of bluesy soul. I’m Not That Lonely is one of those gloriously anthemic numbers, with a killer of a chorus making my soul rise. 

The Heart Always Knows is the sort of tear jerker you would imagine would close the album, but that task falls to Reality, a jazzy, rhythmic late-night atmospheric cut. To date, this is Southside’s last album. If it remains that way, it is a solid final one.

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