Southern California upstarts Thee Sacred Souls will release their self-titled debut album on Daptone Recording Company’s new Penrose label imprint August 26. The accolades and highlights are coming in fast and furious for a band that’s just recently burst onto the scene: co-signs ranging from Alicia Keys, Princess Nokia, Black Pumas, Timbaland, Gary Clark, Jr. and sampled by Curren$y, 40 million streams globally for just a handful of singles released, standing ovations and encore demands from the Beacon to the Greek and sold-out headlining shows with little advance promotion.  It’s all a sign that Thee Sacred Souls have something irresistible to offer: timeless original songs that aim straight for the heart, with grit and class in equal measure.

Hints of Chicano, Philly, Chicago, Detroit, and even Panama soul weave together on the gripping debut from this ensemble that formed in 2019, and while it’s a deliberately analog collection, it’s also distinctly modern.

Drummer/songwriter Alex Garcia and bassist/songwriter Sal Samano – who put the band in motion when they were 23 years old – host a masterclass in rhythm and impeccable taste.  While Garcia and Samano found inspiration in the lowrider scene of Chula Vista and a growing collection of crate dug records, lead singer and songwriter Josh Lane brought his love for soul titans like Marvin Gaye and Smokey Robinson to the fold, with show-stopping vocals that he honed while studying classical voice in college, singing arias and Italian opera.     

Thee Sacred Souls was produced by Daptone co-founder Gabe Roth, who attended their very first club performance in 2019; the tape rolled at Roth’s Riverside, CA studio just three days later.  From the first snare drum snaps of “Can I Call You Rose?,” the album glides at a perfect clip as Lane meditates on love.  Strings, horns, Hammond B3 and backing vocals nestle into these tastefully crafted gems, like on the slow-burning “Future Lover” and “Trade of Hearts.”           

Today’s released single “Easier Said Than Done,” has an accompanying video, directed by fellow musician and photographer Casey Liu.

The band, which tours as a 7-piece including guitar, keyboards and two backing vocalists, just finished a run with Belle and Sebastian, were on the road earlier this year with St. Paul & The Broken Bones and will join Cory Henry at Central Park SummerStage on July 20.  Before that they’ll headline Brooklyn Made on June 22.     

Pre-order: https://daptone.ffm.to/theesacredsouls.OPR

Photo Courtesy: Gustavo Olivares