JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound

Enveloping stage presence and palpable charisma. – Rolling Stone

Of the song “Howl”: “hair-raising guitar chords and piano flourishes over a bubbling bass groove, while frontman Brooks sings of dissolved love in a voice that's as seductive as it is foreboding.” – Rolling Stone

JC Brooks looks and performs like a cross between Chuck Berry and H.R. of Bad Brains in their primes, but his skintight R&B and post-punk soul upend expectations of a retro act. – Washington Post

The band’s third full-length, Howl shows the band’s maturation while staying true to the introspective lyrics and big sound for which they’re known. – Paste

Howl is a soulful 50-minute experience that will rock listeners to the core. – Aquarian Weekly

JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound exemplify what previous Chicago soul musicians like Sam Cooke, the Five Stairsteps, The Dells, and countless others have projected — a sense of community encapsulated and illustrated through emotional profundity that yearns for expression and admiration. – Indie Shuffle

Howl gives the listener the sense that the band has not only matured with their song writing, but have understood how to take ownership of a sound that is singularly theirs while uniquely Chicago. – Indie Shuffle

The recording features group compositions, more personal songwriting and a wider sonic palette than the band's earlier efforts. The result is a mix of old school soul and funk grooves with lyrics that portray the complexities of modern life and relationships. – ASCAP

They've taken their self-described post-punk soul sound and added dark layers alongside the soulful grooves. – CBC.ca