Song of the Week: Soul Boy

Whooo boy! The 60's called, and once again the Skinner Brothers have answered in a big way! If you're craving a nice, mellow track that blends the smooth grooves of classic soul with just the right touch of sleepy jazz, look no further than Soul Boy, the title track from the highly coveted Soul Boy Vol 1 album. This little tune will transport you right into the heart of some seedy, red velvet nightclub, and convince you that all your problems can be solved by chain smoking and a room temperature glass of whiskey. I'm not saying they can be, of course, I'm just saying a song has never lied to me before.

The easygoing guitar and relaxed vocals paint a vivid picture of a sultry nightlife, like cruising in a beat-up car under the soft glow of ambient city lighting, chasing dreams and dodging heartaches along the way. It resonates with the universal feeling of trying to find your place in the world, but is still delivered with such raw sincerity that you can't help but sing along by the time the chorus arrives. And as if that wasn't enough to draw you in, the perfectly timed (yet completely unexpected) saxophone will hit you out of nowhere, and leave you wondering why there isn't more unsolicited sax in this world.

In an era that crowns overproduced pop as king of the music scene, Soul Boy has that rough around the edges, unpolished texture that makes it feel genuine and steeped in old-world charm. There are no excessive frills to be found here- this is as close as you'll get to someone recording an unforgettable live performance in their favorite local watering hole, but without all the unnecessary background chatter distorting the audio.

In an unexpected deviation from earlier songs like Chelsea Boy, Zac goes full-blown silky crooner- a stark comparison to what we've become accustomed to, even in more recent endeavors like Gold Teef and Cooked. But like every other genre he's taken a bite out of and put back in the box, he knocked this one out of the park and gifted us this laid-back, retro sound that feels too much like home to ever skip. Do we want the Skinner Brothers to keep bringing us back to the nostalgic music of our youth? Yes. Do we want them to evolve, and keep trying their hand at different genres until they have thoroughly exhausted everything but Polka? Also, yes. That's not too much to ask, is it?

With the music scene presently dominated by fleeting trends and mindless TikTik dances, Soul Boy stands out as a timeless gem among the rubble. I have a sneaking suspicion that I would not be the first person to have called Zac an “old soul” in his life, but this track is one of several peppered throughout the Skinner Brother's catalog (as recently as their 2025 EP, Sugar Boy) that truly feels like time traveling. It has the same infectious Motown energy reminiscent of The Temptations, but with a much more modern twist that always leaves you guessing and wanting more.

Whether intentional or not, the Skinner Brothers have once again crafted something as soulful as it is soul-stirring, that elevates the mood and actually reminds us why we fell in love with music in the first place. It takes a simple rhythm and transforms it from a movement to a cultural cornerstone in the blink of an eye (or perhaps snap of the fingers?) and has the undeniable ability to restore our faith in music along the way. It also reminds us that while time keeps marching on, our favorite old school genres don't have to remain trapped in the past forever. Musical styles from simpler times are long overdue for a proper revival, and the Skinner Brothers have proven that they are ready to meet that challenge head on.

100 degrees that's why they call me the Soul Boy

I see what you did there! Does that make Soul Boy cooler than Queen? As with many other topics, I have my opinions (and under the right circumstances you'll hear all about them, trust me), but in this case I don't want to be haunted by Freddie Mercury, so I'll leave that one open-ended for now. I will say this, though-the Skinner Brothers may need to get their thermometer checked, because 100 degrees is barely a low-grade fever, and with curve-ball tracks like Soul Boy under their belt, it is my quasi-professional opinion that they are definitely scorching.

☘️🖤