Music Review: Old Soul Society’s Self-Titled Album
The Wisconsin-based band proves there’s beauty in letting the music breathe.
Old Soul Society album artwork.
Most records these days want to grab you right away with a short hook, but Old Soul Society’s new self-titled record felt like they were keen to live up to their name.
“Cold Stare” set the album’s tone right away and actually caught me off guard. The song’s intro starts with an acoustic guitar part so clear I could hear the individual strings being plucked and the hand keeping time on the guitar’s wooden surface. It was followed by a hi-hat and rim hit with a clear, smooth electric guitar part that added the perfect touch of comfortable sweetness.
Then came the voice of lead singer Derek Ramnarace. These aren’t your traditional leg-weakening soulful vocals; he sings like the working man that’s seen a lot, like someone who became a storyteller first, then learned to sing. At times his delivery feels a little off time and rough around the edges, but I could feel every word.
Those vocals are so integral to this album’s grounded sound I can see the soil it came from. It’s as if the record is a whole house, and the first song is carefully spreading that crucial concrete foundation.
Even on the more acoustic pop-influenced songs like “In This Web” and the traditional country-influenced “Peace of Mind,” the vocals kept a hold of me. This band and this album carry the spirit of when you would buy a record, put it on the turntable, and just soak it in. I can even see the band gathering to record it all live. It’s music I can almost touch.
This notion continues on one of the record’s strongest songs “Fleeting Thought.” The slow, dark-toned blues guitar creates a warm sonic wave that spreads over the other instruments and engulfs the vocals in a warm bath of sound. In that warmth the singer looks back on a relationship that ended, and the guitar solo after the halfway point has a calm, somber feel.
Old Soul Society. Photo courtesy of the artists.
The more I listen, each song is almost like they’re creating timeless paintings that move. I can see the pictures as the songs progress, like on “Laramie.” It’s one of two distinct narrative songs where not only can I see the train that’s stopped and the trees, but I can see the time period they’re in. It’s a multi-dimensional feeling.
“On Down the Road” has a deep Texas blues guitar intro that transported me on an old pickup truck to a backwoods bar that has cellular service only if you hold your phone at the right angle. A man reminisces about a lost love as he sits at the bar, and the song’s slow pace reflects his mood.
The album closes with the rootsy, anthemic stomp and clap number “Furthur.” It’s not even two minutes long, but the a capella styling adds an energy that brings the whole listening experience home.
It’s an Old Soul Society indeed. This music is meant to be sat with and soaked in. If you allow that to happen, your imagination will paint pictures you’ll never want to stop looking at.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andy Ellis.
Andy Ellis has been spotlighting indie music for over 10 years and is always looking for that next great band. When he’s not listening to music he’s reading, writing, and listening to podcasts about it. He also hosts the Melodic Noise Insider podcast covering Minnesota’s expansive music scene.
