Style: Funk-pop; compare to Mike Farris, Jimmy Needham, and Big Daddy Weave
Top tracks: “Learning to be the Light,” “Sweet Grace,” “Selah”
After 2010’s surprise number one hit, “There Is a Way,” the industry-acclaimed Canadian quartet self-proclaims Rebel as a gift to radio, issuing accessible pop melodies within the context of the band’s trademark funk, soul, gospel, and blues accompaniment. Whether recording vintage alt-country on the electric shuffle of “Sweet Grace,” a Motown two-beat on “Selah,” or the college-pop sweetness of “Today,” the band explores diverse genres seamlessly thanks to their uber-tight musicianship. And on a record fans and critics could have deemed as a “sell-out” to radio, Newworldson has enough musical gumption to incorporate ear candy for the casual listener and rabid fan.
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