As is often the case with the band's work, though, Future Soul is full of feel-good and emotive songs. The band can conjure up a joyous, soulful party atmosphere when they want to - and slow things right down to lead an emotional charge elsewhere. All of those vibes are present here as always, and the album kicks off with Crazy Cryin' - a light-hearted southern rocker which opens with a spiky guitar riff which is soon doubled by Dixon's Hammond organ. A sparse, but groovy, verse kicks things off - with Tedeschi singing in her usual warm and powerful manner against choppy guitar rhythms, with the main riff interjecting, whilst the double drums of Greenwell and Isaac Eady and the pulsing bass playing of Brandon Boone create the main groove. The verses generally follow this pattern going forward, utilising a sparser overall arrangement - and allowing the full power of the 12 band members to shine through during the bigger chorus. The horn section occasionally adds colour during the verses, but they come into their own during the chorus - with brass swells filling all of the gaps alongside Mattison and his fellow backing vocalists. The soulful side of the band is on full display here - and a short, but blistering, guitar solo adds some additional southern rock power to what is an up-tempo rocker. Lead single I Got You has a breezier, poppier feel - driven throughout by Mattison's acoustic guitar chords. This acoustic guitar presence adds a summery feel throughout, whilst the subtle groove from the rhythm section and the colourful piano fills only further this vibe - which allows Tedeschi to sing from the heart whilst the backing vocal trio add plenty of depth, particularly during some wordless vocal-led sections later on. Big guitar moments are generally in the minority here, but Trucks adds some choppy rhythms in the background - whilst also throwing in the occasional bluesy lead. The horn section is once again a force during the chorus - and a closing guitar solo moment, which upends the song's otherwise focus away from Trucks, is another one of those moments which showcases the power of the large ensemble as the backing singers and the horn section continue to add colour throughout. After two rockers with bigger sounds, Who Am I slows things down somewhat and goes for a more restrained sound. Trucks handles most of the guitars here, with ever-present acoustic guitar chords sitting in the background to allow a slightly jazzy electric guitar melody and leads to sit nicely atop the shimmering drumming of Greenwell - whilst backing singers Mark Rivers and Alecia Chakour add subtle percussion. Rumbling organ can be heard beneath everything, but its roar is slightly tempered - adding colour between the folkier guitar presence and the simple bass line (provided on this song by producer Mike Elizondo instead of Boone). The star here, though, is Tedeschi. Some of Trucks' guitar melodies are hooky, but it is Tedeschi's warm vocal delivery and the way that she builds as the song progresses that makes it tick. There is a subtle country edge at times, but generally she sings with a restrained bluesy power - and it is only her voice heard on this track, with the backing singers relegated to percussion duties this time, which only helps her power to shine through.
Hero feels a bit bluesier and more percussive - with both Tedeschi and Trucks adding subtly brash electric guitar chords to the song's restrained garage rock opening. Guitar melodies are then added atop this somewhat riffy approach - whilst Greenwell's tom-heavy drumming early on does wind the clock back to the 1960s blues rock scene. The verses are quite percussive and foot-stomping, then, even if the gentle organ and Trucks' crying little guitar melodies round the edges off the brashness of the guitar rhythms. The chorus sees the song explode a bit more, though, with a more powerful approach. Greenwell shifts to a more driving hard rock beat, and the guitars and organ just ramp up in power - leading to Tedeschi singing in a louder and more passionate manner. The backing vocalists add depth here, too, and the song moves back between its two vibes: percussive and more expansive hard rock. The closing instrumental section is quite chaotic, too, with Trucks laying into his slide - adding lots of distortion to his sound as Greenwell cuts loose on the drums. What in the World, the only song here not written by the band as it was instead written by Nashville-based singer-songwriter Paul Olsen, strips everything back again - with both Trucks and Mattison teaming up on the acoustic guitar against Eady's lumbering drum beat. The song is a slow-moving ballad, then, which places a lot of focus on Tedeschi's soulful and pleasing vocal delivery - but as things progress the arrangement does feel grander. Trucks throws in a few slide licks here and there, including an aching solo later on, whilst the organ once again does quite a lot of heavy lifting. It is a short song that allows for a moment of respite from some of the more complex and rocking arrangements elsewhere - and it brings the first half of the album to a quiet close. The title track follows, which ups the power quite considerably. Opening with a hard rocking, southern-friend riff - the song might be the heaviest Tedeschi Trucks Band number to date. Trucks dominates here, then, with his riff driving everything - whilst both of the drummers play together to allow for a bottom-heavy and foot-stomping sound. Tedeschi doubles up on guitar to add extra weight, whilst she sings the track in a high-octane, blues rock manner - ably supported by the backing singers who also add some very effective percussion. Trucks' later solo is one of the dirtiest guitar moments on the whole album - and it is great hearing the band really let their hair down on this number, as really rocking out is not something that they do all that often. Under the Knife stands out as it is the only song here not sung by Tedeschi - with Mattison instead stepping up the plate as he generally does at least once per album. Mattison has a great voice, and at times it seems a real shame that is largely relegated to being a backing vocalist these days, but that just makes his showcase numbers all that more enjoyable. This track is a funky, slinky number with a great groove whipped up by Boone and Eady - whilst Greenwell and session player Abe Rounds add some additional percussion. There is plenty of rhythm here, then, and the full power of the band is on show. Tedeschi joins the other two backing singers here to harmonise with Mattison - who drives the song with his acoustic guitar, whilst horn accents and plenty more Trucks slide guitar keeps that funky vibe continuing throughout.
Be Kind is another quite big-sounding piece, but the vibe shifts from funk to barroom blues - thanks to the prominence of Dixon's driving piano throughout. The chorus, which features plenty of brass and wordless backing vocals, perhaps feels grander than barroom blues - but the dancing chug of the verses, driven by bluesy guitar rhythms and the piano, really creates that vibe overall, and Tedeschi's voice naturally leans towards the bluesy. The chorus has a bit more of a swing to it, which is really aided by some subtle percussion from Chakour and the horn section - whilst the dominance of the piano throughout is capitalised on later with a keyboard solo from Dixon in place of a usual Trucks workout. Devil Be Gone also has a bluesy feel overall, but this time the vibe is darker - especially during the verses. This is another song whereby the chorus expands the sound, showcasing the band at full capacity, but the verses here feel fairly low key - despite actually quite a lot going on during them. Chugging guitar rhythms and distorted slide leads essentially fuel the song, but deep, brass additions also add depth to the verses - before the chorus explodes with more backing vocals and a typical horn approach, creating a big halo behind Tedeschi's warm and uplifting vocal delivery. The song's later instrumental section is a bit more expansive, too, with Trucks and Tedeschi trading lead licks back and forth - creating a solo which is part-slide and part-traditional blues, whilst a shuffling and tight groove from the rest of the band rumbles on beneath these two guitars. After a couple of expansive bluesy numbers, Shout Out returns to a slightly more restrained vibe, or at least that is how things seem - with a hollow drum groove from Eady creating a bit of an old-school jazz vibe, whilst a main musical hook, largely played on the guitar but subtly backed by the horns, surfaces throughout. Despite the more restrained sound, though, there is a lot going on here. Mattison's acoustic guitar is once again ever-present, whilst the horn section does a lot of heavy lifting with a good mix of more typical bursts and brass and some more atmospheric, keyboard-esque additions. Rounds' percussion talents are once again called upon, with congas very present in the mix during parts of the song to add to the overall mix of sounds which makes up this jazzy and varied number - and it is one that has grown on me quite a bit since first hearing it. The album then comes to a close with Ride On, another much more stripped back number - with brushwork drumming and some bluesy, picked slide guitar motifs sitting behind Tedeschi's more country-tinged vocal performance. The singing here feels quite laid back, which it fitting given the sparser arrangement - but everyone still plays a part here, with Dixon's shimmering keyboards and more subtle horn arrangements adding depth, especially during the chorus. There are certainly fierier songs here, but the Tedeschi Trucks Band do this sort of laid back country/folk rock well - and there is nothing half-baked about Trucks' closing guitar solo, which sees him really deliver with his slide. This last solo is one of the album's most beautiful moments and it brings this varied album to a melodic close. Due to its concise nature and songwriting variety, I can see this being the Tedeschi Trucks Band album that I listen to the most going forward. It has such a feel-good and heartfelt vibe throughout - and its short runtime means that I can put it on anytime and have a good time. I have been really enjoying exploring the band's catalogue over the past couple of years, and Future Soul is a great addition to it. Hopefully the album's tour will bring them back to the UK - as I would love to see them live for the first time.
The album was released on 20th March 2026 via Fantasy Records. Below is the band's promotional video for I Got You.
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