The genre-smashing groove masters in Soulive are releasing their first collection of new music in six years. The EP, “Cinematics, Vol. 1” is out today on digital and vinyl formats via the trio’s own label, Soulive Music.
The band, which features brothers Alan (drums) and Neal (keys) Evans along with guitarist Eric Krasno, is best known for their infectious blend of soul-jazz, hip-hop, funk, and rock. But “Cinematics, Vol. 1” takes them in a different direction. The group has transformed their sound with five new cuts that evoke film soundtracks, hence the EP’s title.
Though the concept of creating music that comes across like it was created to support a visual medium sounds like it was planned, the band insists it happened organically. They arrived at Alan Evans’ studio without any overarching concept in mind.
Each musician brought a few loosely sketched ideas and they fleshed them out together. The “cinematic” quality of the music arose naturally from the trio’s collective instincts rather than from some grand plan. After all, they have been playing together since 1999 and have recorded over a dozen albums including live and studio releases.
The songs include the entrancing psychedelic soul of “King’s March” and the funk of “Sidekick.” A personal favorite is “Miller’s Last Stand,” which finds the band veering off into what could be imagined as a scene in a spaghetti western.
With this new release, Soulive has created a template for future albums along the same cinematic lines. The possibilities are endless for a group with such strong creative vision. Perhaps the opportunity to actually score a real film is on the horizon.
