Featuring the powerful lead vocals of Clarence Fountain, the Five Blind Boys of Alabama are usually only the twist of a lyric away from being a straight secular soul group, and the best of their work draws freely from pop nuances even as it remains solidly in the gospel camp. Here “God Is Real” has a doo wop vocal group feel, while “New Born Soul” and “So Sweet to Be Saved” are hard Southern soul pieces in all but name, while “Put Your Hand in the Hand” is nothing short of sanctified funk. Listeners looking for a historical retrospective of the group’s 50-year career should probably pass this one by, but for a straight-ahead set of organ-driven deep soul gospel, with no frills or fills, look no further. – Steve Leggett
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