The Revelations featuring Tre Williams made a name for themselves in both traditional and progressive soul circles with The Bleeding Edge, their debut album released in 2009. Now, after months in the studio and on the road, the Brooklyn-based band is back with Concrete Blues, a powerful follow-up slated for release on November 8 from Decision Records/NIA Music through eOne Distribution.

The new album is a daring hybrid of classic southern soul and modernist blues and R&B. The album’s ten new songs are divided into thematically linked “sides”. The first “side” deals primary with social issues associated with poverty, contemporary economic conditions, the prison system, etc, while the second “side” focuses on personal relationships. In addition, the album offers three bonus tracks that were included in The Bleeding Edge, in recognition of the massive regional airplay the songs garnered at Deep South soul and blues radio over the past two years.

The album was recorded in Memphis at the late Willie Mitchell’s famed Royal Studios with the full participation of Mitchell’s son Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell, who co-produced the sessions with Bob Perry. The band’s core members, guitarist Wes Mingus, drummer Gintas Janusonis and vocalist Tre Williams were joined on the sessions by the Hodges Brothers whose work with Al Green is a hallmark of the Hi Records sound. Along with ‘Teenie’ Hodges (guitar) and brother Charles Hodges (organ), the sessions also drew Stax alumni James Alexander of the Bar-Kays on bass and Lester Snell of the Isaac Hayes Movement on piano. Additional sessions for Concrete Blues took place at Chopshop Studios in Brooklyn.

The album’s tunestack includes two cover songs, “Until You Get Enough of Me,” originally recorded by Southern Soul cult hero Ronnie Lovejoy and “Don’t Wait,” which had previously been released by Johnnie Taylor. The bonus tracks are “I Don’t Want To Know,” “Everybody Knows” and “Let’s Straighten It Out,” the latter a classic soul track first recorded by Benny Latimore with whom the band has recently shared concert bills.

The Revelations are a powerful performing unit and have shared stages with, as noted, Benny Latimore as well as Bobby “Blue” Bland, Denise LaSalle, Lenny Williams, J. Blackfoot, Otis Clay, Bobby Rush, Swamp Dogg and other soul greats. They will be touring this fall and into 2012 in support of Concrete Blues.