Few vocalists can bring the sheer power and passion of Mike Farris. With his first album since 2018’s Silver & Stone, Farris continues to move further away from strict gospel by doing what he does best: merging his collective musical influences into one amazingly infectious stew of rock ‘n soul in The Sound of Muscle Shoals, an album with one great song after another. Grammy winner Farris has six solo albums since 2001 and was originally the frontman and founding member of the rock group The Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies in the 90s.
As Farris says, “When I left New York to move back to Tennessee, it was partly because I had realized I couldn’t write the songs I needed to write up there. I had to get back home and have the soil under and all over my feet.” He felt the best way to capitalize on this realization and these penned songs was to surround himself with musicians who had proven resumes with the kind of earthy music he envisioned, thereby journeying to Muscle Shoals and FAME studios.
The musicians there are the second generation of the legendary Swampers but every bit as locked into the sound. They are Clayton Ivey (keys), Will McFarlane, Kelvin Holly, Wes Sheffield (guitars), Jimbo Hart (bass), and Justin Holder (drums). Moreover, Farris produced The Sound of Muscle Shoals with award-winning executive producer Rodney Hall (son of legendary producer and record man Rick Hall). A rock ‘n soul album wouldn’t sound complete without horns, so we have Brad Guin on saxophones and Drew White on trumpet. A five-person choir led by the in-demand Wendy Moten graces most tracks.
“Ease On” kicks off with a rollicking beat as Farris sings about his rural beginning in Franklin County, TN, backed by a bevy of background vocalists. Mentions of “one-room country shack” and dirt roads remind us of the heyday of soul music with Sam & Dave and others. Immediately, we’re off to a thrilling ride of stinging guitars and pounding keyboards. Damn, it’s impossible to sit still and not feel Farris’s vocal thunder. The unleashed “Heavy on the Humble” is the single, another with gripping hooks and raging guitars. “Swingin’”plays to a more relaxed tempo with swirling B3 and spiraling guitars, a story song with a swelling chorus – “We went down swingin”.” “I’ll Come Runnin’” is a steady stomper, with Farris testifying as only he can while “Bird in the Rain” chugs along with snappy rhythm much in the vein of the opener “Ease On” imbued by Ivey’s Wurlitzer.
“Slow Train” moves at a pace reflective of the title, and like Dylan’s song of a similar title and those memorable strains of “People, Get Ready” Farris reveals his penchant for gospel, backed by a simpatico choir. Standout “Bright Lights” has shades of country via Philippe Brochstein’s pedal steel guitar. It was the last song written for the album as Farris sings of the life of a musician with lyrics that run similarly to Jesse Winchester’s “A Showman’s Life.” This one flows nicely, allowing Farris to unwind the lyrics (“Bright lights, big city dreams/ It’s not always what it seems”) yet without regret, as he’s backed by vocal harmonies from the five person choir.
“Learning How to Love” takes a crooning, balladeer route with gospel choruses. At the same time, he ramps up his passionate soul in “Her” and takes a throwback Otis Redding approach to“Before There Was You & I,” backed by church-like organ, reaching a bone-chilling wail in “I want to thank you, baby,” one of several peak moments. He closes in style with “Sunset Road,” leading a choir of voices about the futility of worry, leaving us on a comforting, optimistic note where you, too, may well be singing “We will never worry no more.”
The fact that Farris isn’t widely known is a shame in itself, but The Sound of Muscle Shoals, which may well be his crowning achievement, may start to move the needle.
