As seen in Relix Magazine, November 2020 Issue, written by Jake May.

Bastards of Soul’s debut full-length record, Spinnin’ kicks off with a surprise. The opening track, “I’ve Got The Key,” begins with a pleasant groove and inviting vocals from frontman Chadwick Murray. However, by the end of the tune, the whole band is pushing a building jam—bassist Danny Balis and drummer Matt Trimble hold down the rhythm section, keyboardist Chad Stockslager provides a bed of chords and guitarist Chris Holt delivers inventive but emotional lead lines between horn-section fills. All the while, Murray steals the show with his powerful, soulful vocals.

“I’ve Got The Key” is emblematic of the entire album; at face value, Bastards of Soul seems like a familiar, grooving soul band. However, throughout the LP, the band keeps the listener on their proverbial toes. Tracks like “Funky Ham & Eggs” are reminiscent of The Meters, with Trimble delivering Zigaboo-esque beats and Holt floating atop with funky guitar work. “Hard Up & Lonely” offers a mixture of funk, blues and soul, ending in a tambourine- laden crescendo. Meanwhile, “If These Walls Could Talk” displays the emotional range of the band, with Murray belting out the cathartic chorus: “If these walls could talk/ I bet they’d stop caving in.”

Since Bastards of Soul dropped the record in February 2020, right before the live music world largely shuttered, the closing song’s title, “There Will Be No Show,” turned out to be oddly prescient. The number once again displays Bastards of Soul’s range, with Stockslager delivering a tasteful solo on an acoustic piano amid a 6/8 blues groove. Spinnin’ is a fitting debut for Bastards of Soul; it shows the band’s power, but suggests there’s much left in the tank.