Driven by a vicious and visceral soul, The Buttshakers are known for their fierce and fiery music. Yet after nearly a decade of touring and recording, it was with a different musical vision that they approached Sweet Rewards, their first collaboration with Underdog Records. Accustomed to the raw, primitive sounds of 60s garage rock and the crude sexuality of pre- Motown soul music, A sound they could have continued to dig into again and again. Instead, they decided to take another route: a creative shift, a return to a style of soul music that no longer has to rely on pure energy alone. Exceeding the limitations imposed by their tight yet powerful six person lineup, they opened up this studio session to fully accommodate their ideas and concretize their musical ambitions: a larger horn section creates a richer, scintillating sonority; a touch of slide-guitar opens their creative universe to the open spaces of the far West; the organ vacillates between psychedelic drapery and heartfelt gospel tones; all of this supported by the wicked groove of a percussionist driving the beat on. Their sultry and soulful frontwoman, Ciara Thompson, is here for the first time supported by backing vocalist. An occasion for her to indulge in a few call and- response chorales, a reverence to a gospel background instilled in her from her native St Louis (Missouri), a still vibrant heritage from the city that cradled jazz, blues, country and folk music. Ideal for a sound that never lets down yet remains intuitive to the gradual rise of emotion each song demands. With each new listening, Sweet Rewards reveals something new to the listener: another dimension, a hidden layer.