A Pleasant, Soulful Surprise From Holmes Brothers

Never fails. Every time you think there can’t possibly be any surprises left in American roots music, something surfaces that isn’t 12-bar business as usual. New artists like the Holmes Brothers pop up with a fresh set of influences or an obscure recording by an underrecognized singer like O. V. Wright is re-issued.

Pleasant surprises are the focus of this American edition of “On the Offbeat,” a periodic review of roots, ethnic and non-mainstream pop music from around the world.

1/2 The Holmes Brothers, “In The Spirit,” Rounder. This New York quintet, anchored by transplanted Virginians Wendell and Sherman Holmes and Popsy Dixon, isn’t a blues band per se--the sound covers the R&B; front from the mid-’50s up to the late ‘60s Stax soul era. The most distinctive of its debut album: a vocals-oriented approach from the gospel church, drummer Dixon’s falsetto cries.

The arrestingly rough, soulful singing helps the Holmes Brothers weather occasional lapses in the arrangements and breathes some life into a couple of too familiar blues/soul standards. Even though the musical components are hardly new, there’s a refreshing absence of formula on “In The Spirit.”

O.V. Wright, “Live,” Hi/Demon import. Wright was the gospel shouter counterpart to Al Green’s smooth slickster during the latter’s mid-’70s salad days on Memphis’ Hi Records. Wright never became popular outside the R&B; market . . . and Japan, judging from the crowd response to this live album recorded at two Tokyo concerts in 1979.

The reaction isn’t too surprising considering the dynamic opening salvo of some of Wright’s best songs--”Blind, Crippled and Crazy,” the exceptional “Eight Men and Four Women,” and “Precious, Precious”--and the rough-edged, passionate support of the Hi rhythm section that backed Green on all his hits. The rest is merely a history lesson of gospel-rooted Southern soul delivered by a great singer (who died of cancer the following year) and a band that isn’t just going through the motions. You need more?

1/2 Buckwheat Zydeco, “Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire,” Island. Buckwheat Zydeco may be too versatile for his own good. His previous Island albums suffered from a patchwork eclecticism that prevented potent individual tracks from adding up to a cohesive whole. “Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire,” produced by Los Lobos’ David Hidalgo, falls victim to the same malaise.

The most inspired selection--and biggest missed opportunity--is the Stones’ “Beast of Burden.” The first two minutes are so soulful that a Top 40 hit for Buckwheat Zydeco is actually conceivable . . . until the arrangement falters badly and the song sadly just peters out.

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor) to five (a classic).