Mary Mary’s The Sound delivers the best of the old and the new. Although it’s not a ‘concept’ album, The Sound uses the context of a radio broadcast as a framing device: a continuing motif that introduces the album and weaves its way through the whole project, often acting as a segue between songs. Erica and Tina, with help from longtime producer and collaborator Warryn Campbell (Erica’s husband), convincingly bring to mind the good-time feeling of the Motown era without getting into parody or nostalgia. More seasoned listeners will recognize elements of Martha and the Vandellas (“The Sound”) and The Jackson 5 (“Boom”), although the overall vibe is upgraded by incorporating elements of hip-hop, a good dose of synth work, electronics, contemporary pop/jazz elements, and strong, sophisticated ballads.

The album’s 45 second introduction is an atmospheric spoken-word piece (Deborah Joy Imani Winans) that defines ‘sound’ in both mechanical and philosophical terms. The somewhat lofty prelude trails off as Winans’ sophisticated narration gives way to an AM radio-friendly voice announcing, “the sound…” and the faint click of drumstick against drumstick counts off the explosive opening of the title track. Incorporating classic Motown horns with a surf-rock refrain, “The Sound” is a three-and-a-half minute party of a song that sounds tailor-made for a summer day, in a convertible, driving down the street on your way to the beach. For a minute I almost thought the next track would be Shirley Ellis singing “The Name Game,” but instead an impressive horn riff sets us up for “Get Up,” a sophisticated pop/jazz/r&b song designed to get you literally and metaphorically up out of your seat.

Getting a bit more urban, with the help of rapper David Banner, “Superfriend” features a very deliberate beat mixed with a big string sound and some electronic percussion kicking the whole thing up a notch. “God in Me” continues with a modern urban-gospel track, heavy with electronics and rhythmic vocal phrasing from Erica and Tina, who generously give up some vocal space to the amazing Kiki Sheard. If the Jackson 5 had recorded the next track it could’ve become one of their biggest hits – “Boom” combines the best of the old and the new, and even flirts, on the chorus, with the dreaded disco yet manages to sound fresh and energetic.

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