Tim Krekel Orchestra – Soul Season
He’s one of the most reliable songwriters in Nashville, having penned hits for Martina McBride, Patty Loveless and Crystal Gayle. But Tim Krekel is more than a hired gun whose best songs end up on other people’s records. The Louisville, Kentucky, native also has released eight albums full of twangy, soulful songs as smart as they are catchy.
Krekel steers the soul in a more literal direction on his latest, stacking up horns on a set of chugging blue-eyed country-soul tunes that split the difference between Memphis and Nashville, with a little Muscle Shoals thrown in. Things get punchy and bright on “I Won’t Leave You Alone”, with blasts from a Hammond organ swirling through trebly guitar licks and swelling saxophones. Low horns moan in the background over a gritty mix of piano, guitar and organ on “Be With You”.
Great as the horns are, Krekel’s songwriting is the real attraction. Well, that and his voice, which inhabits his music with earthy, warm-hearted presence. Krekel sings with a casual air, drawling out a wry reference to Louisville Cardinals basketball on “Wilson Pickett” and cutting through the din with blustery vigor on “I Just Can’t Cry Anymore”. He’s not afraid to strip away the bluster, either, which turns “Stir Me Up Inside” into a spare and emotional powerhouse of a song that’s soulful without even trying.