Fathers Children - The Sky's The Limit

I was absolutely delighted to see a NEW release from this fantastic group on CD Baby. I still very much adore their seminal “Hollywood Dreaming” from their 1979 Mercury set that was produced by Wayne Henderson. Would they live up to their glorious past, I wondered. Oh yes, they do. Well, so long has elapsed so no real comparisons can be seriously made, but what I can say is this: vocally the guys are on top of their game and sound as good as ever, and musically we are talking quality contemporary independent SOUL.

For me, the midtempo tracks are the best. Skipping the opening song, which is ruined for me by rap, we launch into a SUPERB slap-bass filled groove called “Something I Wanna Say To You”. This is a real must-have cut and I have not stopped playing it since it dropped through the letterbox onto the doormat. Listening to this, I was not surprised to see that a certain Paul Minor was involved in the co-production side of things. Paul, as you know, has been associated with Al Johnson, C.J.’s Uptown Crew and The Unifics and his wonderful style is stamped all over this song. If you love C.J’s Uptown Crew’s “Style (I Like Yours Too)” from 1992 or Al Johnson’s “My Heart Is An Open Book” set from 1998 then this song is for definitely one for you!

The brilliant “We Got Love” equals this stunner. Don’t be fooled by the rather gentle, acoustic guitar and synth introduction. This really does tick all my boxes; it’s soulful, fresh, and addictive and is one of those songs will make you feel great inside. The downtempo material is also on a winning streak. “If I” is gentle and unassuming number; the tale of an enquiring lover who wants to know how much his woman will stand by him through hard times. The clattering thunderstorm and spoken word intro to “Key To My Heart” allows us access to a very sensitive, pleading ballad. You can literally feel the apprehension in the vocals, and the vulnerability makes it ever so more appealing. This is possibly my favourite downtempo cut. The bar is raised for the title track with its slap base and Isleys styled electric guitar. This could easily have been recorded in the early 80s. The whole album is generally pleasing. I think it’s wonderful to have these guys back and I hope we won’t have to wait nigh-on 30 years for a third album! ESSENTIAL.

Barry Towler

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Fathers Children - The Sky's The Limit