The Revelations featuring Tre' Williams seemingly came out of nowhere with their debut single, "I Don't Want to Know," a classic Soul throwback that recalled the days of music greats like Otis Redding. And on their debut seven-song EP, the appropriately titled Deep Soul, which was released in the U.S. on Nov. 18, 2008, the group continues its old school vibe. Although the band's Soul-Blues hybrid sound is still a work in progress, for a first release by a group that hasn't even been together a couple of years yet, this is a solid, enjoyable album filled with strong, passionately sung tunes.
As the name's band suggests, the star of The Revelations featuring Tre' Williams is Tre' himself, the six-man band's lead singer, a man blessed with a vocal style that's melodic and yet gritty at the same time. As mentioned above, he's sort of a modern-day Otis Redding, mixed with a little Anthony Hamilton. And his vocal style meshes perfectly with the old-school Soul that the band plays. Their lead single, "I Don't Want to Know," almost sounds like it could have been recorded in a juke joint back in the day, with its BB-King-meets-urban-Soul style. The song, like the other six tracks on the EP, tells a story. In this case, it's a about a done-wrong man who doesn't want to hear about what his doing-wrong woman is up to out in the streets. The song is but one example of the EP's strong songwriting: "Heavy Metal," about a man who fills another full of lead over a woman; "Because of You," about the power of love to positively change one's life; and "He's a Hustler," an ode to all the brothers on the block who use any means necessary - legal or illegal - to make money, are all superb.
And in addition to the excellent lyrics and gritty, soulful vocals are the vintage stylings of the group's other members - Hip-Hop singer Rell, guitarist Wes Mingus, keyboardist Borahm Lee, bassist Josh Werner and drummer Gintas Janusonis. Their playing isn't perfect, but it's definitely more than solid. In fact, the same can be said about the EP as a whole. There are occiasional flaws when it comes to song arrangement, musicianship or singing, but the band's flair and style makes up for them.
