This is Southern Avenue's third album of sophisticated Soul and blues from Memphis, by way of Israeli born Ori Naftaly's song writing and guitar playing, and the powerful band built around Tierinii Jackson's powerhouse vocals and with Steve Berlin in the producers chair this is a very slick and well produced album of thought provoking songs.
The album opens with the title track Be The Love You Want and it's a brass rich very 1970's sounding New Orleans/Memphis soul sound with Tierinii Jackson's vocals sounds a bit more modern (but with a clean unadulterated sound) than the music, but the message of Be The Love You Want could not be more relevant for the deteriorating situation in the USA in recent years.
Control slowly builds as it asks questions of who or how you wish to be controlled, be it on a personal level or on the far more worrying level of who is in Control of government and the Police. Who are you prepared to cede Control too and what do you want in return, the brass stabs and almost prog guitar parts have a good funky edge to them.
Don't Hesitate (Call Me) is a slow laid-back song full of finger snaps and lazy brass to let you know when you are in your hour of need you can call Southern Avenue and they will be more than happy to help.
The first single off the album was Push Now that features special guest Cody Dickinson on this gospel soul stirrer that has some rather magical keyboards and rather carefully placed brass parts.
Fences is a slow blues for mending those Fences and finding some healing in these troubled times, as the vocals slowly build this feels like a plaintive plea to be brought back to earth.
Let's Get it Together keeps with the idea that we must all find a way to get along with each other and to try to make the world a better place as everything goes to hell around us as we look for solutions the guitar solo starts to soar above the super laid back brass section.
Heathen Hearts starts almost like a field holler with handclaps and chanted vocals for the underdogs in need of a helping hand.
Move Into The Light is the most bass led tune on the album with a mighty bassline at it's core as they tell us to Move Into the Light and find that better place and way of doing things.
Love You Nice And Slow is the sort of lazy, laid back love song, to rock with your baby too, while you have a good time, with a love of Saccharine Sweet & Low sachets, although they don't follow the tune on the sachets thankfully.
Pressure to do better, Pressure to be better and Pressure to make the best record you can, well Southern Avenue are doing everything they can to deal with that Pressure and come up with the goods no matter how tough the team talk they've just had might be.
Too Good To Be True is the bands slow lovers rock ballad to cuddle up to the one you love and feel good too. This is very laid back and silky smooth.
The album closes with the blaxploitation strut of Move On that sounds like it should be on the end credits of a hard times struggle of a film as finally something good happens to the main characters and finally they live in a sane and peaceful place as all the haters have been Moved On.
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