Over the years, American band The Inciters have delivered a great blend of northern soul and rocking sounds in a package that’s pretty much guaranteed to get their audience jumping. Their ‘Boot N Soul’ single from 2023 was a perfect example of their retro heart beating furiously, and its parent album ‘Bring Back The Weekend’ showed how the band were not just about quality, but also consistency. Within that thirty five minutes, the musicians worked their way through self penned soul bangers, twangy rock numbers with a retro flair, and even a couple of retro pop infused numbers that lent themselves brilliantly to a horn section, each with equal greatness. It was one of those albums that, no matter where you dropped the needle, a good time was guaranteed.
They’re clearly aware that the title cut is especially strong, as they’ve reworked it for this stand-alone release. A casual listen might suggest that the re-recording isn’t that different, but a closer ear unveils a couple of points of interest. Firstly, the production sound is a little flatter – not necessarily in a bad way, but the horns sound a little more muted. Then, there’s the vocal: it’s ostensibly the same, but it’s delivered a little more aggressively. This, perhaps, contributes to the other elements sounding a little less immediate. Given time to tune in, though, there’s still an absolute banger of a track here, and (especially if this happens to be your first listen) you’re guaranteed an enjoyable listen. The opening horn riff is a very cool throwback to 1969; the wordless backing vocals darting in and out of a classic northern soul beat stoke up the feel-good vibes, and although they’re relegated to a steady tempo throughout, there’s also a rousing feel coming from a solid rhythm section holding everything together with ease. As an alternative to the album cut, it works well, but it’s the other track here that’s of the greater interest…
On the flip, they take Nolan Porter’s ‘If I Could Only Be Sure’ and turn in a pin-sharp cover. The lead guitar opens the number with a huge retro twang and continues to share a circular riff under a huge, layered arrangement. It’s prominent enough most of the time to be considered the main musical feature – and the guitar work is leant on a little more heavily thanks to a brief lead break – but it’s never as impressive as the featured brass. A wall of sound fleshes out the chorus, the deep sax sounds timeless, and the moody melodic hook is perfectly executed. It’s semi-dark feel is also a perfect fit against Sabina’s lead vocal which reaches for an old 60s tone very effectively, curling around a huge chorus in a way that almost makes this number feel like one of The Inciters’ very own. As part of Nolan’s repertoire, this isn’t as good as the absolutely classic ‘Keep On Keeping On’, but this cover is certainly strong enough to make you want to revisit the original cut before heading even more deeply into The Inciters’ catalogue.
The slightly more modern production will always belie The Inciters’ post-60s origins – they’re never as old school sounding as Dap Kings, and sometimes owe more to JoBoxers – but for lovers of a great soul sound with a huge amount of punch, this pair of tunes will certainly impress. This is one of those 7”s that feels like more than a stop-gap, even with the lead track being a re-recording of a previously released cut. It sort of goes without saying that if you already love The Inciters then you’ll love this, and it’s guaranteed to spend a fair while as part of your listening rotation. If you’ve not yet had the pleasure, check this out without delay, then take a listen to The Inciters’ ‘Boot N Soul’ single. If you like what you hear, then the ‘Bring Back The Weekend’ album will definitely entertain.
March 2025