Atom Bomb

Atom Bomb

While the sound of traditional soul gospel is still unmistakably at its core, Atom Bomb, the group's latest album, includes The Blind Boys' most adventurous forays into pop music yet, featuring loops, raps and roaring blues riffs. The disc includes an exuberant version of the Fatboy Slim/Macy Gray tune "Demons," featuring rapper Gift of Gab from Blackalicious, while Los Lobos guitarist David Hidalgo and blues harp icon Charlie Musselwhite help recast Norman Greenbaum's gospel-rock classic "Spirit in the Sky" as a raw, Detroit-style boogie. The 10-track disc also includes a joyous rendition of Eric Clapton/Blind Faith's "Presence of the Lord," featuring the legendary Billy Preston on Hammond B3, as well as The Blind Boys' spin on such traditional tunes as "Old Blind Barnabus" (a song suggested to the group by Tom Waits), "I Know I've Been Converted," "Talk About Suffering" and "Moses." The title song, meanwhile, is a remake of an early Cold War-era Soul Stirrers tune that proves uncannily relevant some 55 years later. Atom Bomb Demons Talk About Suffering I Know I've Been Converted Old Blind Barnabas Spirit In The Sky Faith And Grace New Born Soul Presence of The Lord Moses