ALBUM REVIEW: Southern Avenue Cooks Up a Memphis Soul Stew on ‘Family’

With voices soaring, beats pulsing, and spirits on fire, Southern Avenue’s thrilling Family could initially be mistaken for an old-fashioned gospel record. Between the irresistible grooves and unflagging positivity, it’s impossible not to feel reborn and uplifted after spending time with this dynamic quartet.

Named after a street in the group’s hometown, Southern Avenue calls its fourth album Family for good reason. The Memphis band is made up of three sisters – window-rattling lead singer Tierinii Jackson, plus Tikyra Jackson (drums), and Ava Jackson (percussion, violin), both of whom add glorious vocal harmonies – and guitarist Ori Naftaly, who’s married to Tierinii. Like the Staple Singers, when powerhouse Mavis Staples sang with her siblings and patriarch Pops Staples, the group has roots in the church, but everyone can savor the vibrant stew of spiritual, soul, and the blues.

Although Southern Avenue doesn’t espouse any religious doctrine, the band champions a belief that music itself can solve a person’s problems. The roaring leadoff track, “Long Is the Road,” tells the tale of a man crushed by love, recounting, “A debt to his heart left him without a dime / So he put it in a song and turned water to wine…He hit rock bottom / But he keeps on rocking.” Elsewhere, the feral “Late Night Get Down” and the country blues-tinged “Rum Boogie” celebrate the ecstatic release resulting from total surrender to pure sound.

The strength that flows from family and friends is even more important. From “Found a Friend in You” (“As long as we’re together, can’t nobody touch us”) to “Sisters” (“We move mountains / For each other”) to “We Are” (“We’re a force together”), Southern Avenue refutes the myth of rugged individualism.

John Burk’s uncluttered production provides the perfect setting for the exciting voices and gives Naftaly plenty of opportunities to shine. Like Pops Staples and Steve Cropper before him, he specializes in concise, piquant fills. And when he does show off in a rare solo, Naftaly conveys a sense of good-natured pleasure that’s hard to resist.

Southern Avenue knows life can be hard. Powered by toe-tapping exuberance, “Upside” argues for meeting challenges head-on to rise above them, declaring, “Don’t you hold on to mistakes that you made…Don’t be afraid to feel what you feel.” In these bizarrely stressful times, there may be no better advice.

Southern Avenue’s Family is out April 25 via Alligator Records.