Malted Milk - Sweet Soul Blues (2010)

Originating from Nantes (France), Malted Milk moves within the sheerest Afro-American musical tradition, brilliantly combining blues and funky soul.

The band has become one of the major figures of the French blues scene. This notoriety goes far beyond the French border, since the band has also performed abroad on many occasions, to back headliners such as Big Joe Turner or to participate in the finals of the Memphis International Blues Challenge in 2007.

In these times when the blue-eyed soul is successful in the eyes of the general public, Malted Milk’s time may well have come. True, the great Soul sounds of Black America have rocked our lives for the past fifty years, but it doesn’t mean that this precious musical heritage shouldn’t be revitalized, that its groove couldn’t be reinvented!

Malted Milk’s unrivaled soulfulness is more than a sign of their respect for this glorious past. The boundless energy you will find on this album is a mere sample of their ability, a glimpse of their electrifying potential on stage.

Blues purists, funk freaks and avid listeners alike will testify to the authenticity of Malted Milk’s musical might. Inspired compositions, precise arrangements, elegant vocal harmonies, and clever production... who could ask for more? Chances are their artistic honesty will conquer new adepts among those whose ears haven’t yet been polluted by artificial pop sounds.

You can bet on it, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Solomon Burke and Howard Tate wouldn’t have remained unmoved by these recordings. But this is not the least of Malted Milk’s achievements, who have managed to impose their soul-drenched repertoire in Europe. With so many dull imitators and usurpers around, this insistence on originality sanctions the work of creators who insist on making their way, regardless of the commercial consequences of their musical acts.

The group’s objective has remained unchanged since its inception in 1998: share its love and convictions, bring fun and pleasure, and honor with taste the soul greats of yesteryear. As this album amply proves, Malted Milk hasn’t strayed from its goal.

And if you still entertain any doubts about the worth of these superlative players, try a simple experiment: let yourself be drawn by the strong pull of their dazzling horns and impeccable tempo... A handful of seconds should be enough; you will end up begging for more. "C’mon, get some! You won’t regret it!"