Since releasing the scorching punk-blues outing
Shake Hands with Shorty in 1999,
Luther and
Cody Dickinson, scions of the late, great producer and roots rock prophet
Jim Dickinson, have made their
North Mississippi Allstars a distinctive unit whose meld of Southern blues, folk, rockabilly, funk, and R&B enchanted the masses. That said, with over ten studio albums, they've yet to repeat themselves.
Set Sail marks the band's first outing since 2019's star-studded
Up & Rolling, and is their second for
New West. Their ever-evolving lineup includes new bassist
Jesse Williams and vocalist
Lamar Williams, Jr., who sings lead on five songs. Gospel singer
Sharisse Norman is the band's backing vocalist, and legendary
Stax soulman
William Bell sings on a track he co-wrote.
NMAS create a refreshing meld of organic Southern sounds drawn from deep soul and blues to lithe funk and psychedelia; combined, they present an easy vibe. Opener "Set Sail, Pt. 1" offers languid, steamy funk with
Williams, Jr. up front. Its lyrics astutely comment on rising seas caused by climate change. The interplay of guitars, horns, chamber strings, electric piano, breakbeats, and droning bass support
Williams' lead as
Luther adds tasty single-line fills. Originally a ten-minute jam, its second half appears as the set's seventh track. Though "Bumpin'' is a sinister swamp blues drenched in reverbed guitar and martial drumming, it snakes and slithers under
Luther's plaintive vocal and haunted synth. "See the Moon," a duet between
Williams and
Norman, struts with a funky beat before
Luther vamps like
Nile Rodgers on
Daft Punk's "Get Lucky" as
Cody breaks and bumps on snare and hi-hat; he also adds harmony vocals, a second bass, and guitar under a chunky clavichord. "Outside" is also fronted by
Williams. He sings right at
Luther's backmasked guitars as
John Medeski's funky Wurlitzer piano pumps over tribal tom-tom grooves and a rumbling
Williams bassline. The guitarist's daughters,
Lucia and
Isla Belle Dickinson, back his lead vocal on the poignant, poetic, bittersweet Americana shuffle "Didn't We Have a Time." "Never Want to Be Kissed" is a stunning vehicle for
Bell. At 82, his voice remains supple and expressive; he has lost none of his control or power. Framed by a three-piece horn section and strings,
Phyllislorena Smiley provides him a stirring backing chorus as
Bell climbs above the band to emphatically deliver his heartbroken truth. Luther adds
Steve Cropper-esque fills as the horns underscore
Bell's every utterance. It's followed by the massively funky "Juicy Juice" that delivers a whomping bassline courtesy of
Williams. "Rabbit Foot" weds Delta blues guitar to humid Southern-fried bass, keyboard, and drum funk as
Williams sings with sultry intensity. The album closes with "Authentic." Featuring
Medeski on B-3 and
Dickinson's daughters on singalong backing vocals, this gentle yet empathic anthem celebrates family, friends, non-violence, positivity, and American music.
Set Sail is easily the band's most mature, far-reaching, affirmative statement. Making it even more indispensable is that it is as infectiously danceable as it is life affirming. ~ Thom Jurek
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