The Dip @ La Bellevilloise, Paris

Some bands spend their entire careers searching for a new sound. The Dip have chosen a different challenge: writing great songs within a tradition that was already perfected decades ago. It is harder than it sounds. Soul music has produced so many classics that imitation is never far away. Yet the Seattle outfit inhabits the form so naturally that such concerns quickly disappear.

On paper, there are few surprises. Guitar, keyboards, bass, drums and a three-piece horn section made up of trumpet, tenor saxophone and baritone saxophone. The ingredients are familiar, as are the influences. The Dip clearly revere the giants of soul, R&B and funk. What sets them apart is the quality of the songwriting and the confidence with which they deliver it. Nobody is trying to reinvent anything. Every horn stab, guitar lick and keyboard flourish serves the song. The virtuosity is there, but it never asks for applause.

That approach pays dividends on stage. Warm, melodic and irresistibly groovy, these tunes are built for crowded rooms and dancing bodies. Before long, La Bellevilloise is answering the band's calls, clapping along and moving in unison. Resistance proves futile.

The Dip may not be interested in pushing the envelope. They understand something many musicians forget: originality is not the only path to greatness. Sometimes all you need are killer songs, a deep pocket and seven musicians completely locked in. The result, on this particular evening, was one hell of a soul party.

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