Robert Finley
Hallelujah! Don't Let The Devil Fool Ya
***and1/2 out of *****
Never one to do things the 'normal way' Robert Finley approached his first gospel album with no set material, just a sense of the lord speaking through him. What rolled out was, Hallelujah! Don't Let The Devil Fool Ya, a funky good time that has one foot in church, and the other one on the late night dance floor getting down with wild abandon.
Working again with Easy Eye Sound and Dan Auerbach as well as Tommy Brenneck, Barrie Cadogan, Malcolm Catto and Lewis Wharton the music is deep layered and nuanced. At times things explode into outer space with dance ready grooves and shimmies. Finley's daughter and touring partner Christy Johnson amps up the gospel side of things, backing her father with the response vocals to his first passes.
The album starts hot with "I Wanna Thank You" as the super funky beats roll out as Finley's raspy vocals plea for forgiveness. "Holy Ghost Party" finds everyone involved having a good old time as the huge spacey riffs soar and the layered music bumps and boogies.
When the songs run shorter, the results are excellent like on "Helping Hand" which uses piano, hand drums, deep bass and meaty riffs in almost Blaxploitation funk fashion. The harmonica laced "On The Battlefield" gets heated up like a steam train rumbling down the tracks while the prime "Can't Take My Joy" which amps the organ in Spencer Davis Group meets The Staple Singers fashion.
It is when the tunes run on too long that things start to drag. Finley and Auerbach decided to let these extended sojourns stand, both closer "I Am A Witness" is OK in slow rolling wrap up fashion and "Praise Him" is fine, yet both would be improved by taking a few repetitive minutes off. Album centerpiece "His Love" feels like Finley is lost and the music wandering in bland fashion, weighing down the record.
However, when Finley and company lock in, the unique take on gospel music contained on Hallelujah! Don't Let The Devil Fool Ya is highly enjoyable no matter your beliefs.
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