Four years after their last major-label release, inspirational a cappella group
Take 6 returns with their first self-released album. Their last album for Warner Brothers, 2002's
Beautiful World, was a muddle of pop covers and mild gospel with some ill-advised forays into smooth jazz instrumental backing that sounded well out of place with the sextet's trademark interlocking vocal parts. For
Feels Good, the group get back to their roots both musically and spiritually, delivering straightforward inspirational tunes with nothing but their truly remarkable voices. Street-corner doo wop, the more sophisticated, jazzy vocal arrangements of
the Ink Spots or
the Four Freshmen, and the smooth R&B blend of
the Four Tops or
Boyz II Men are all present and accounted for, and the material is both perfectly arranged and delivered with passionate, devotional intensity.
Feels Good is a welcome comeback for a group that had been unfairly marginalized during its major-label tenure. ~ Stewart Mason