Oncle Ben Bares His New Old Soul

Retro Soul — you know, new Soul music with a vintage veneer — is all the rage these days, and things are no different in France. Amy Winehouse and the The Dap Kings deserve the credit for popularizing the sound, but now everybody and their grandmother, from Bruno Mars, to R. Kelly, to Adele, to Raphael Saadiq seems to be kickin’ it Old School.

But no one has done more to help retro Soul catch on in France than the French R&B singer Ben l’Oncle Soul, né Benjamin Duterde.

A native of Tours, Ben l’Oncle Soul or Oncle Ben (the name he used to go by but had to change for legal reasons) recalls the sounds of Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Sam Cooke, and the Stax Records / Motown era. And yes, he takes his stage name from that Uncle Ben, because of his trademark bow ties.

After graduating from a school of fine arts, he joined the Fitiavana Gospel Choir, a touring choir of professional musicians.

Soul Wash

In 2009, he was signed to Motown France in 2009 and released a popular EP of cover songs. He really plays with the tempo and refashions Pop hits into entirely new compositions. First, he made waves with his remake of Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy.” Then he funked-up the already funky White Stripes’ hit “Seven Nation Army.” “Barbie Girl” gets a tres cool makeover, and his rendition of Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl” really swings.

Here’s “Seven Nation Army”:

Ben L’oncle Soul

With buzz from the EP and the resources of Motown France behind him, Ben released his highly anticipated self-titled debut album in 2010. While some listeners and critics thought it too derivative, others found the French take on the vintage Soul sound to be a sheer revelation. In fact, it went triple-platinum and won him four Victoires de la Musique (French Grammy) nominations, and a win for Best New Artist.

The critics have a fair point, though. His smoky voice is amazing, the lyrics are innocuous enough, and the songs are light and carefree (that’s the Motown influence), but you can’t help but feel like you’re listening to a copy of a copy of something. There’s a paint-by-numbers vibe to every 60’s riff, drum roll, and piano triplet that feels fake and formulaic. This album is interesting to sit down and listen to — once — but it doesn’t hold up over repeat listens. It’s too novelty to be in anyone’s everyday playlist rotation. Ironically, his cover songs EP showed more originality.

Here’s “Soulman,” which features a sample of Otis Redding’s “(Sittin on) the Dock of the Bay”:

In 2013, the singer appeared on We Love Disney, an album of Disney soundtrack songs performed by French artists. He performed “Etre Un Homme Comme Vous” a.k.a. “I Wanna Be Like You (The Monkey Song)” from The Jungle Book.

À Coup de Rêves

Ben’s released his sophomore album in 2014. He’s still doing the vintage Soul schtick, this time firmly rooted in the 1970’s. I like this album MUCH better than the first. The songs seem more earnest, and the vintage sound doesn’t feel as forced. Someday, I’d love for him to follow the Sam Smith playbook and subtly evoke nostalgia without outright manufacturing it. I think he’d still sell without it.

His well-executed remake of Al Green’s “Simply Beautiful” (featuring Keziah Jones) is one 5 pleasant English tracks on the album, and I almost like those more than the French songs. I don’t care for the single “Hallelujah !!! (J’Ai Tant Besoin De Toi),” but with “Ailleurs,” “Attends-moi,” “À Coup de Rêves,” and “Quelques mots,” Ben finally reaches Soul Française sweet spot. Check out the title track.