When the Nashville-area band performed at KDHX studios on July 2, temperatures outside neared 100 degrees. This didn't stop the soul-revival specialists from packing in drums, horns and guitars for a short but explosive set.
Leading the group is DeRobert "Dee" Adams, a singer who ties the sound together with his forceful yet skillfully restrained vocals. Adams register falls somewhere between Sam Cooke and Stevie Wonder, which isn't to say that he directly emulates either of these artists. As with the band's instrumentation, his singing style incorporates many classic elements with a contemporary edge, making head-bopping songs such as "Take Me Out of the Dark" feel both vintage and brand new all at once.
Another fresh track featured in DeRobert & the Half-Truths' in-studio performance is "Sucker Punch," which is an aptly short, in-your-face bout of funk that puts you on the dance floor with punctuating horns and smooth guitar. "Swear I'm Not a Fool" slows the pace, but goes big with jazzy guitar licks and features the most spellbinding vocals of the day's performance.
The combo's latest project, Beg Me, has a summer release date of July 26 through G.E.D. Soul Records and will be printed on vinyl only. As with a good record, however, DeRobert & the Half-Truths' live performance for KDHX is worth listening to from beginning to end, over and over again.
