Martin Luther (Soul)

Martin Luther is one of those neo-soul singers who took a detour through Electric Ladyland on his way to Muscle Shoals. The singer has a whipping snarl that lashes into the spare, guitar-driven backdrops, and tracks "Rise" and "Spare the Day" are more brooding than seductive. Though the mix is a little off -– too much audience noise and not enough low end -– the live performance is straight fire: raw, impassioned and just loose enough to be funky.