Various Artists: Groove Thing

Groove Thing (Eightball/Lightyear 54195-2) is palatable enough. Sure, its roots are showing-the same retro soul wellspring that has spawned dozens of tepid revisionist outfits. But these cats are a bit sharper than most; their grooves tighter, their jaunts through soul-groove territory a bit more fibrous than their competitors. Tunes like “Why,” “Solamente Parole” and “Command and Obey” (the latter featuring former Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry on vocals), don’t break any new ground (and often, don’t kick up a lot of dust on the ground they revisit) but they, like most of the disc’s tunes, hit the familiar marks with enough flair to add up to a reasonably good listening experience.

Originally Published January 1, 1998