Thee Sacred Souls

For Thee Sacred Souls, the first time is often the charm. The bandʼs first club dates led to a record deal with the revered Daptone label; their first singles racked up more than ten million streams in a year and garnered attention from Billboard, Rolling Stone, and KCRW; and their first fans included the likes of Gary Clark Jr., The Black Pumas, Princess Nokia, and Timbaland. Now, the breakout San Diego trio is ready to deliver yet another landmark first with the release of their highly anticipated, self-titled debut.

Thereʼs something inevitable about the sound of Thee Sacred Souls, as if these ageless songs of love and loss have somehow always existed, as if Garcia and his bandmates—bassist Sal Samano and singer Josh Lane—have been playing together for a lifetime already. Produced by Bosco Mann (aka Daptone co-founder Gabriel Roth), the record is warm and textured, mixing the easygoing grace of sweet ʼ60s soul with the grit and groove of early ʼ70s R&B, and the performances are utterly intoxicating, with Laneʼs weightless vocals anchored by the rhythm sectionʼs deep pocket and infectious chemistry. Hints of Chicano, Philly, Chicago, Detroit, and even Panama soul turn up in their music, and while itʼs tempting to toss around labels like “retro” and “vintage” with a deliberately analog collection like this, thereʼs also something distinctly modern about the band that defies easy categorization, a rawness and a sincerity that transcends time and place. This is the future of Soul Music.