Eli Reed & the True Loves | Music Review

When leading a revival of an all-but-dead genre, it’s not enough to be good — you have to make people believe. With two scorching EPs and a never-ending series of roof-raising live shows, Eli “Paperboy” Reed & the True Loves are converting audiences young and old back to the Church of Soul. With a clear, pleading falsetto and an uninhibited scream that defies description, Reed, a native of Brookline, Massachusetts, has that perfect combination of talent and charisma that’s the hallmark of classic soulmen. Claiming the best songs are boy/girl songs, Reed has written a catalogue of catchy, unpretentious tunes that often feature him pleading a woman into or out of fidelity. The band’s first full-length album, Roll with You (to be released this May), highlights its versatility with both tender ballads and gritty, foot-stomping dance numbers. Solid from beginning to end, the record has already garnered gushing acclaim from critics. Poised on the brink of broader fame, the band is confident it can win over anyone who listens, leaving Eli to ask, “Can I get a witness?” Read more of Justin Shatwell’s music reviews.