Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal’s Do It Now dropped last Friday on Silver Street Records.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Last Friday Josh Hoyer and Soul Colossal released their fourth full-length, Do It Now, via Silver Street Records. The 10-song collection was recorded at Silver Street in Ashland and Make Believe Studios in Omaha.

From the Josh Hoyer website: “Upon its initial European release in August 2018, the album drew rave reviews from European publications, with Blues Magazine stating, ‘Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal still prove to be at the top of the contemporary soul movement.’ The band promoted the album on their second European tour; a 37-city outing spanning six different countries.”

I don’t jack about modern blues and soul other than Sharon Jones, Dap Kings and whatever Black Keys are up to these days, but I dig Hoyer’s album, which feels like a throwback to the kind of FM easy-listening R&B music I remember back in the ’70s by acts like Lou Rawls, Jerry Butler and The Impressions.

Gotta wonder how Hoyer’s turn on The Voice helped build his national exposure and fan base. He talked about it in this Q&A with the Lone Peak Lookout, last summer:

From the article: “I learned a lot from being on the show. I met a lot of like-minded performers and got to understand the industry a lot more. In the end, it is just a very tough business. No one is going to achieve much success unless they are willing to roll up their sleeves and put in a great deal of work into their craft. There is no easy way to the top. I’m thankful to have made new fans via the show, but I am still out here working my tail off for everything the band and I are able to achieve.”

Hoyer and his band are touring the Rocky Mountain states through early February, with a Valentine’s Day gig at Zoo Bar in Lincoln before touring throughout the Midwest (including a Slowdown gig March 16) and South through this summer.

Check out the new album on Spotify and iTunes and buy the vinyl from his merch page.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2019 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.