darkshade Soulive become a quartet on this album. Sam Kininger fills out the fourth slot on alto and tenor sax, with the original trio of Krasno and the two Evans brothers. Coming off the success of the previous album "Doin' Something", Soulive takes that sound even further on "Next". The production is top notch, maybe even a little slick since I feel like the drum sound is a little thin and it seems like the organ has been pushed back a little bit (while his foot pedals for the bass have been turned up). This is a minor gripe, as everything DOES sound good.

This album is real funky. Having Sam Kininger as a main band member means more sax, and he plays some great stuff. Some tracks he uses a wah pedal which gives it that Headhunters feel at times, but Sam plays different than Bennie Maupin, and the band just groove at all costs. What is also noticeable is the types of beats being utilized on some tracks has a real hip-hop vibe to them, even with some of the riffs played on guitar.

Of course it's no surprise the band were moving in a hip-hop direction when you have guests like Black Thought and Talib Kweli as guests on two tracks. If that isn't your thing, don't worry, this is still classic Soulive, in other words, instrumental funk/soul-jazz. They may have meant something by the title of this album, as the 'next' album is where the band really let loose on their hip-hop influences. For now, this album is great, slightly less than their first 2 albums and debut EP, but still essential for any Soulive fan.