Breaking Sounds: Sunday Sinners
By Brett Cross
www.victimoftime.com

Gospel has always had that raw, maniacal enthusiasm that carried over to rock’n’roll and gave Little Richard a career. For every Reverend Charlie Jackson and early 60s Staple Singers, there’s plenty of non-denominational ears out there who aren’t too hip on the monotheistic message, and just want to feel the spirit---what ever it is. Just look at the Oblivians last album. Montreal’s Sunday Sinners play heartfelt hymns that recall the beautifully blurred line between R&B and gospel’s country twang. On their newest release, Sweet Jam, on the mysterious Sonik’s Chicken Shrimp label, they layout a six song path of warmly executed soul-soothers. Previously performing with the Montreal supergroup, The Del-Gators, Jenna Roker has a voice that is prefect stylistically: rich, deep and velvety. And her delivery is classically sultry, ––think Ronnie Spector. On the final track they cover The Velvet Underground’s paramount tune “What Goes On” as if it were a spiritual written by Pops Staple and not Lou Reed. The drum track is total Moe Tucker too, simple and muddied.