Founded by Gabriel Roth a.k.a. Bosco Mann, Penrose Records is a subsidiary of the Daptone label that digs into the fertile Southern California souldies scene and with a focus on 45s. On February 24 Penrose is adding five more to their discography, one each by Jonny Benavidez, Los Yesterdays, The Altons, Vicky Tafoya, and Thee Sacred Souls, all covered below.
The SoCal souldies experience is a Chicano scene based in a deep love of pre-Beatles soul, R&B, R&R, and doo wop, styles that sound positively exquisite blasting from the speakers of a souped-up low rider sedan. Souldies is an unabashedly throwback and utterly analogue undertaking that’s a perfect fit for a Gabriel Roth-funded label, and one distinctive from Daptone proper.
Proudly throwback but with subtleties and urgency that elevates the music far beyond the limitations of a mere time capsule, these Penrose 45s broadens an already bountiful cotemporary classic soul scene as documented not just on Daptone but on such labels as Big Crown of Brooklyn, Colemine of Loveland, OH, and Timmion of Helsinki, Finland.
It’s Timmion in fact that co-releases the Jonny Benavidez 45 under consideration here, where the San Diego native and NYC-based singer is paired with Cold Diamond & Mink, the Timmion house band. A-side “Someday” sets the vocal group template, Benavidez smooth but sturdy in the lead as the backing hits all the right spots. Additionally, the guitar is clean and sharp, the drumming crisp, and the bass large but limber. But it’s the trumpet that puts it over the top, with the horns crucial to flipside “Slow Down Girl,” where the tempo picks up and the thrust exudes an early ’70s feel, with a hint of Philly in the mix.
Los Yesterdays were part of Penrose’s initial batch of 45s back in 2020 (along with The Altons, Thee Sacred Souls, Thee Sinseers, and Jason Joshua), with this new disc their third for Roth’s label and fourth overall. “Who Made You You” gets even deeper into the vocal group groove, with Victor Benavides in the lead, and swaps out horns for strings and adds piano and cowbell. The A-side is a treat, with a gorgeous vocal showcase in the back end, but the transformation of The Kingsman’s “Louie Louie” on the flip is an absolute gem a bit reminiscent of The Delfonics, The Stylistics and the Main Ingredient.
With Adriana Flores sitting confidently as the lead singer, The Altons bring a sweet twist to the proceedings. The rhythms in A-side “Float” are frankly unthinkable in a classic soul (so much for time capsule), but along with a smidge of Morricone-esque guitar twang, the drumming helps to enhance a cinematic feel. The swirling strings and keyboard cascades at the end of “Float” land it firmly in the psychedelic soul zone. The flip “Cry For Me” is a solid slab of ’60s gal group R&B, a nice complement to “Float,” which has a subtle Spector-ish undercurrent.
Vicky Tafoya’s two songs are even more of a surprise, with A-side “The Moment” a decidedly bluesy excursion. I’m in agreement with the label’s mention of Etta James, but will add that the whole has an aura of classiness about it that while strengthening the connection to James also got me to thinking about Atlantic Records in the 1950s. Little Willie John and King Records are the references for B-side “Love Don’t Treat You Fair,” observations that are right on target. Contrasting with The Altons, Tafoya’s disc sounds like a legitimate byproduct of the ’50s, and that’s a total positive.
Thee Sacred Souls swing us back around to the deep grooved vocal group action heard on the Benavidez and Los Yesterdays 45s. Unlike the rest of these platters, “Future Lover” and flip “For Now” are culled from the group’s self-titled debut LP, released in August of last year. The A-side is full-bodied instrumentally, contrasting a bit with the more spare arrangement of “For Now,” although the flip is ultimately no less intense. Thee Sacred Souls’ breadth of approach is welcome, elevating their disc to the top of this particular heap, alongside Los Yesterdays.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
Jonny Benavidez and Cold Diamond & Mink, “Someday” b/w “Slow Down Girl”
A-
Los Yesterdays, “Who Made You You” b/w “Louie Louie”
A
The Altons, “Float” b/w “Cry For Me”
A-
Vicky Tafoya, “The Moment” b/w “Love Don’t Treat You Fair”
A-
Thee Sacred Souls, “Future Lover” b/w “For Now”
A
