Thee Sacred Souls, “Thee Sacred Souls” (Daptone, 2022)

Like it was lifted straight off of a mid-60s vinyl record, the self-titled album by Thee Sacred Souls transports their listeners to a different decade in their self-titled debut album. Comprised of 12 songs and a run time of almost 40 minutes, it is refreshingly wistful and simple through both the instrumentals and lyrics without getting boring or oversaturated through the album’s continuous theme: love. The combination of romantic lyricism, performance chemistry and effortless grove and simplicity of the drums and guitar simply make this album work.

Thee Sacred Souls is a trio made up of drummer Alex Garcia, guitarist Sal Samano and vocalist Josh Lane who all play as if they were destined to be together. Through the course of this album, the chemistry is felt through the music, and it is a simple demonstration of the magic of finding musicians you can click with. Heavily influenced by Chicano soul music, the band easily takes all the good parts of the 60s and 70s music and transplants them into a carefully contemporary record. 

Without Lane’s inebriating vocals and lyricism, the timeliness and purpose of this record could’ve been easily lost among the music. The lyrics actively make you fall in love during the album, including all the butterflies in stomach and childhood crush-type feelings. Lane’s voice is bewitching over the drums and guitar, and his ability to write exactly what he feels in his heart without skipping a beat or excluding the audience from feeling it too, is truly breathtaking. In “Weak for Your Love,” Lane serenades.

“You have my heart inside your hands/Baby, be careful what you do with me.”

No, Lane, we should be saying this to you.

Although none of the songs are lyrically challenging or overly metaphorical, it works in the band’s favor and adds to the nostalgic vibe of the album. Without the swing of the instruments, though, the lyrics would’ve fallen short, and this is where we begin to see the nature of the band lining up and working hand in hand to create a cohesive aura. The band itself is like a pb&j sandwich; without one of the ingredients, it doesn’t exactly hit right. Take “Trade of Hearts” as an example. Overall, the song scratches the sweet spot musically. The guitar and drums move the lyrics along and keep the lyrics entrancing. The swing changes what could’ve been a slow-paced love song from the 60s to a funk-soul makeout-head nodding, Sunday morning jam. As simple as it sounds, Thee Sacred Souls works almost indescribably. If you listen quietly, you can hear the chemistry ooze from the record. 

Throughout this album, we are proven time and time again that simplicity and minimalism propel this record forward. Its nature is simple: nostalgic love. The guitar riffs embody this message through every song, like “Lady Love,” the riff itself is simple, but paired with the vocals, it highlights the craving and longing nature of the song, and the drums are the bow tying it all together. Garcia and Samano prove their ability to hold down a tune in a meaningful yet groovy way. In all honesty, though, the simplicity and minimalism make this record so timeless; it doesn’t try too hard, isn’t over the top, and is just right.

Every song on this record maintains the overall theme in an effortlessly easy-going way. In a time when love can be so complicated for many, Thee Sacred Souls reminds us of the human nature of affection and longing and how vital it is to the experience of life. This album is a gentle reminder of the simple moments in life and how love shapes them. Love doesn’t need to be complicated or deep, just the rhythm pocket.