The Younghearts: "Do You Have The Time"

One of my favorite pickups of the last few months.  This record BUMPS.  The two-part title track is my new go-to funk-soul anthem, and everything else here gets the job done nicely, too.  The Younghearts, as a musical unit, had been performing and recording since the late ‘60’s, but this LP has its own sound; it could almost be called early modern soul, before disco and legions of synths forever made their mark, although the group does manage to retain certain elements of earlier soul dynamics, especially on tracks like “Stop What You’re Doing, Girl” and the bouncy, Motown-meets-PIR shuffle of “All The Love In The World.”  They also bring the funky soul goods when necessary, on the gospel-inflected “Don’t Crush My World” (awesome drums-and-vocals break at the beginning), the slow-strutting “Wildfire,” and the street-swagger, prog-funk grooving “Look What Your Love Has Done For Me.”  Vernon Bullock appears to be the behind-the-scenes orchestrator of the LP, as his name can be found in the credits as the chief and/or co-writer of every tune, in addition to his being listed as keyboard player, producer, and arranger.  While Bullock was not an official member of the group, clearly they benefited from his ubiquity on this album, as he lends their music strength and cohesiveness that move beyond whatever “sweet soul” tags might apply.