Just listening, you might not guess that Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal hail from Lincoln, Nebraska given the power of their horn-drenched sound that we typically associate with Oakland, Brooklyn, Memphis, or New Orleans. Yet, Lincoln and its famous venue, the Zoo Bar, has long been a favorite destination for blues lovers. Green Light is the hard-working road band’s sixth full studio release and follows 2020’s Natural Born Hustler which was recorded and produced by Color Red co-owner and guitarist of The New Mastersounds, Eddie Roberts.
Formed in 2012, frontman and vocalist Hoyer also handles multiple keyboards and baritone saxophone. His sextet lays down steamy, nasty funk. They are Mike Keeling (bass), James Cuato (saxophone), Blake DeForest (trumpet), Harrison ElDorado (drums), and Benjamin Kushner (guitar). The entire Hoyer-produced album (it is also self-released) was tracked, mostly live, in less than 48 hours at Denver’s Mighty Fine Studios and mixed by James Fleege at Silver Street Studios in Ashland, Nebraska.
They open with punch horn-infused “Evolution,” set to a snappy clap-your-hands beat and a singalong chorus. Animated, economical solos from Cuato, and DeForest fill in the spaces when powerhouse Hoyer relinquishes the mic. It’s the perfect song to not only kick off an album but a live show. The message is to grow together, not apart. “Loneliness” is more than anything, a vocal showcase for Hoyer who quickly returns to topical subjects as the band soars through the wah-wah, clavinet-fueled “Harmony” which admonishes our treatment of the planet The ballad “Mirrors” slyly expands on the theme from “Evolution” inviting honest self-reflection, with perhaps just a tad too much preaching from Hoyer yet it may well be his strongest vocal turn on the album
“Mr. One Up” gets back to danceable soul music, with an infectious call and response from three backing vocalists, including the heretofore unmentioned Myles Jasnowski. The title track is a tight, danceable soul number, another rife with background vocals and reminiscent a bit of Joe Tex. “Beautiful People” glides along to Kushner’s rhythmic strumming and blaring horns, yet another uplifting tune. “Business as Usual” struts to Hoyer’s B3 and Kushner’s guitar in funky style while “Crazy Love” (not the Van Morrison song of the same name) is breezy and smooth, featuring guest Skye Junginger on the sax solo. The fervently serious Hoyer from the album’s first few tunes lightens up in the closer “Shou Do,” speaking in the childish language of his daughters, while Cuato stretches out on tenor and the choruses join in in the style of that chestnut “Shout.” After doing their ‘thang’ for a decade, this may well be their breakthrough recording.
