The Holmes Brothers are certainly one of the best blues discoveries of the 90s. Rough, gutsy, and almost unbelievably funky, they make music that seems steeped in the energy, dust, litter, smells and fumes of Brooklyn's neighbourhoods.
The brothers are Wendell and Sherman Holmes and Popsy Dixon (the latter the owner of the best falsetto voice since Al Green and the Reverend Claude Jeter), and this powerful, emotional, joyful and rocking album is their fifth. The songs, originally written and recorded for the film Lotto Land, stand proudly on their own - although if you do see the film you’ll understand how well they fit the bitter sweet story of the development of the two different relationships and a missing multi-million dollar lottery ticket…

Andy Breslau described the Holmes Brothers' music as "gospel-infused doo wop funk," which pretty much captures the spirit and synthesis of their style. Combining old R&B, soul, and gospel, brothers Sherman and Wendell Holmes along with Popsy Dixon create a rich sound filled with lovely harmony. The intensity of the group's studio performances evokes a live feel, offering an inkling of what their performances at Lynch's in Manhattan must have sounded like during the '80s. Righteous! collects almost 75 minutes of material from the group's four Rounder albums, beginning with In the Spirit in 1990 and ending with Promised Land in 1997. The album kicks off with a bit of electric blues topped with a healthy dose of soul on "Got Myself Together," a song that jumps out of the gate at a gallop and holds to a steady gait for five minutes. Gospel-drenched pieces like "Promised Land," complete with electric guitar, will have non-believers singing along, while classics like "There Goes My Everything" combine classic soul with a touch of country. One also wouldn't want to miss the Holmes Brothers' takes on Tom Waits' "Train Song" and the Beatles' "And I Love Her." Breslau's liner notes, which travel back to the Holmes Brothers' residency at Lynch's, are both edifying and fun to read. While all of the albums the Holmes Brothers recorded for Rounder are worthy efforts, Righteous! offers a solid introduction to anyone who has missed out on their wonderful music.

The Holmes Brothers deliver a mix of joyous blues, funk, R&B, and soul that resonates deeply with hope and personal redemption, a sort of sturdy and comforting secular roots music informed by the trio's precise, gospel-based vocals. Brotherhood continues to update that signature sound, featuring eight new Holmes Brothers originals and imaginative covers of songs by Ike Turner, Ted Hawkins, and the great Stax Records songwriting team of William Bell and Booker T. Jones.

The sixth album by New York's Holmes Brothers is another all-spirituals set - though not in the traditional sense of the word. Produced by pop singer Joan Osborne (before she was a superstar, Osborne woodshedded with the Brothers and developed a fine rootsy singing style of her own), who was there in the Manhattan trenches with the band, this set goes a long, long way to capturing raw, excruciating grooves. With the a trio of singers as soulful as any group Memphis or Motown ever produced, the Holmes Brothers take it to the gut each and every time. This set opens with Ben Harper's "Homeless Child," and let's just say after the deep, grease-fire funk the vocalizing creates, Harper should never play it again…