The Muscle Shoals session

"Texas reimagine 12 of their classic tracks: The album sees cuts from the band's repertoire stripped back to their bare bones, guided by the soulful voice of Sharleen Spiteri, accompanied by Oldham's piano lines ... The material on offer is quite simply stunning; Spiteri's vocal performance, without the bells and whistles of the band's regular releases, places her among the finest of her generation, with the songs also re emerging in a new light that showcases the enduring quality of Texas' material over the past 35 years".

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"Often, the album feels like a duet album between vocalist Sharleen Spiteri and Oldham; the keyboardist plays the sweet changes, accentuating the chords with fleet but not fancy runs, as Spiteri sings with cautious passion. Apart from the cover of the Drifters' "Save the Last Dance for Me" and "Would I Lie to You," a 1992 nugget by Charles & Eddie, the album is devoted to Texas' greatest hits, which all sound supple in these spare arrangements. While the energy may be reserved, that doesn't mean the record is cautious: witness "Black Eyed Boy," which is effectively stripped of its Motown bounce yet still sounds compelling when delivered with Oldham's wailing organ and empathetic electric piano. Such moments give The Muscle Shoals Sessions a pulse that is felt when the record shifts into slower gear, making it feel warm, intimate, and engaging".

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