Album Review: T Staggs – Southern Soul Era, Vol. 2

Sweet soul is a subgenre that’s been with us for awhile now. Built on the foundation of ‘60s soul of the Stax and Motown varieties, these days it’s often infused with some more contemporary characteristics that connect it to slow-jam r&b of the 1980s and beyond. But at its core, sweet soul is a vehicle for songs about live and its travails. Spartanburg, South Carolina’s T Staggs understand the form and showcases that knowledge on Southern Soul Era, Vol. 2. Yes, there are nods to modernity (like his reliance on Vocoder treatments) but they’re not criminally overused. Songs like “Miss Those Days” make use of the tried-and-true spoken into approach, but they’re in service of the songs, so all is ok.

Staggs seems to be writing from an autobiographical perspective on many of these tunes, and that gives the proceedings an organic feel that helps offset the band-in-a-box texture that forms the foundation of much of the record. But then there’s the wonderfully real feel of “Hey Hater,” suffused with sublime gospel harmonies and a stately beat that envelops the listener. And – even with the vocal processing – Staggs demonstrates his vocal prowess on deeply layered tracks like “Pop My Ishhh.” And his sentimental side – never far from the surface) comes to the fore on the album closer “Still Here,” dedicated to his father. Nice stuff, and more evidence that sweet soul is very much still alive.