It’s too early to proclaim 2019 as the year of the retro soul comeback. Still, powerful recent releases from veterans and newcomers like the Tedeschi Trucks Band, The Revivalists, Nick Waterhouse, Lee Fields, Durand Jones & the Indications, and now Eli “Paperboy” Reed make a convincing argument that this blooming of classic sounds is no coincidence.

The folks at Daptone got things boiling with their series of albums from the late Sharon Jones. But Reed, whose debut hit in 2005, has been a consistent presence on the scene too. He’s had his career ups and downs — a few major label albums tried a little too hard to find a crossover audience — but Reed’s a legitimate blue-eyed soulman who, along with his tight, horn-charged backing unit, always brings the goods live.