Solomon Burke Nothing’s Impossible Review 6p5q4e

The sticker on the sleeve makes claims for the greatness of Nothing’s Impossible: “A new, instant classic from the legendary king of rock and soul”. Well, it’s not far off. Although not as good as you’d really like it to be, everything about this record feels heartfelt, the first time that Burke and the legendary Memphis-based producer, Willie Mitchell, worked together.

The release has added poignancy as Mitchell died soon after the project’s completion, marking a full stop to a career that included his signature work for Al Green as well as sides for Ann Peebles, O.V. Wright and Otis Clay. Everything here is set against a classic Mitchell backdrop: keening horns, honeyed strings, watertight rhythm and close-mic’ed drums.

Preacher, sometimes mortician and man-mountain, Burke, a man with 90 grandchildren, knows a thing or two about life. Now eight years into the comeback that started with 2002’s Grammy-winning Don’t Give Up on Me, Burke plays the elder statesman of rock and soul effortlessly. His hectoring then mellow bark of love and instruction spreads itself across these 12 tracks.

At times, though, it veers far to close to cliché. The over-reliance on sax recalls parping, mid-period Van Morrison. The cover version of Anne Murray’s You Needed Me is possibly a little too cruise liner cabaret for this reviewer. In fact, it’s toe-curlingly mawkish. And throughout, Burke's commanding vocal presence is sometimes a bit much for the mellower moments.

That said, when it all comes together on a track like Oh What a Feeling, it is effortless and heart-warming; an antidote to every over-emoting talent show winner. This is soul. Less is more. Burke explores the heart of the tune. New Company is sugar-sweet, and the grit throughout Burke’s voice ensures that things never become too comfortable. It Must Be Love has all the great drama of classic soul, and Mitchell plays every trick in his not inconsiderable production book.

Burke tells it like it is, like the sensitive man, wronged lover and righteous preacher that he truly is. For his final work, Willie Mitchell found a perfect partner, and Nothing’s Impossible sees him depart on a high.