Soon!
Self-Released, 2021
9/10
The Philadelphia roots rockers Jefferson Berry & The UAC are back with a 4th album, and their jam band and folk qualities certainly aren’t off the table amid an inimitable vision where the UAC, i.e. Bud Burroughs, Dave Brown, Marky B. Berkowitz, Uncle Mike and Caleb Estey work superbly alongside Berry.
“We’ll Soon Be Together” starts the listen with flowing singing and a very warm, melodic climate of rootsy sounds, and “Cloudy Day Daydream” follows with emotive pedal steel and intricate picking as the rural landscape emits much beauty.
The middle tracks are among the best, and include the playful and rugged yet tuneful “Too Old To Matter”, while “RW&B” recruits soulful harmonica and dynamic interaction between the skilled players. “That Guy Was Fun”, a tribute to Gene Shay, then displays meticulous banjo acrobatics and precise drumming under a contagious energy.
Rounding out the listen are “Changes In Kensington” and “When The Earth Moves Again”, where the former is a cautious and rhythmic tune of strategic keys, and the latter exits with no shortage of timeless Americana alongside vivid storytelling and sublime finger acrobatics that do justice to the Jefferson Airplane classic.
An album that was written and recorded during quarantine, Berry and company tell stories of city life with a soundtrack that’s usually suited for rural folk, as the 7 originals and 2 covers present again illustrate just how talented this ensemble are. In the area of folk, roots, jam and Americana, few are doing it better than this.
Travels well with: The Danberrys- Shine; Sons Of Bill- Oh God Ma’am