Okay, yes, Jon Gibson has an eerily similar vocal delivery to a non-one-hit-wonder in Stevie, it's true. However, this blue-eyed soul singer had/has more than enough chops to stand on his own. Body & Soul is his fourth album, and it finds him dropping late 80s pop earworms like the Beatlesque "Heart of Gold," the choir-backed "In the Name of the Lord," and "Everyone Needs the Lord."

Not to mention stellar songs like "Father, Father," and "God Will Find Ya." Lastly of note are the ballad "Merry-Go-Round" and his cover of Wonder's "Have a Talk with God," featuring an excellent harmonica solo from the song originator himself.

The main drawback of the album is that it is undeniably tied to the sound of its era. This is 80s music with drum machines and instrumentation that fit the decade. Whether that bothers you or not will go a long way toward your enjoyment or lack thereof. Other than that, songs "Long Ago" and "Us Now" are nearly a disappointing way to end the album with "Everyone Needs the Lord" stepping in to save the day. They are both examples of a decent try, but are missing the stellar qualities of their track mates. In the former, the island groove sticks out like a sore thumb, while the latter treads too closely to melodrama.

Ultimately, over half the album is a hit with this reviewer and easily makes it my favorite record from this fantastic artist. If you're unfamiliar with Gibson and his work, he's certainly worthy of some streams if Stevie Wonder, and other fine piano-centric songs with great vocal chops, are your jam. I also highly recommend his albums Forever Friends and Love Education, the latter of which can sadly only be heard on YouTube for some reason. All in all, Jon Gibson is one of my all-time favorite vocalists and I hope this review piques your interest enough for you to give him a shot.

- Review date: 2/5/23, written by Josh Balogh of Jesusfreakhideout.com