ProStudioMasters.com

"... the rousing (title track) boasts a righteous blend of drums, back-up vocals and horns that pulse with Little Steven's nimble guitar playing. The rocker unleashes an array of six string tricks, from a steady disco-tinged vamp to an arena-sized solo, while his mighty vocal performance reveals tinges of Bruce Springsteen's bombastic howl and Bob Dylan's weary croon." - Rolling Stone "Four Stars ... it’s impossible not to hear the Southside Johnny blueprint of horn-bolstered classic R&B ... both in the boisterous, brassy arrangements and Steven’s vocals that are often so similar to Johnny’s as to be almost indistinguishable ... Steven and his Disciple of Souls backing unit attack the material with the fever, fervour and, well, fire of Springsteen at his most soulful. These recordings crackle and explode out of the speakers with a wall of sound approach that brings a widescreen audio ferocity ... it’s hard to imagine a more joyous and revelatory contemporary blue-eyed soul recording. The appropriately titled Soulfire is a tough, tight and clearly inspired project as well as a most welcome return from the musical shadows for Steven Van Zandt." - American Songwriter Stevie Van Zandt's first solo album in almost two decades is without question his purest and most uniquely personal artistic statement thus far. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer revisits songs that span the length of his career as artist, performer, producer, arranger and songwriter, focusing directly on the hugely influential "soul horns-meet-rock 'n' roll guitars" approach he first pioneered on Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes' classic first three albums. Brooklyn a cappella group The Persuasions appears on two tracks, while Van Zandt co-wrote the Motown-esque Love On The Wrong Side Of Town with his Boss, Bruce Springsteen. Co-produced by Van Zandt with Grammy-winner Geoff Sanoff (Fountains of Wayne) and guitarist Marc Ribler, Soulfire was mixed and mastered by Van Zandt's career-long collaborators and friends Bob Clearmountain (the Rolling Stones, David Bowie) and Bob Ludwig (Led Zeppelin, Nirvana). "... this is my first album ever that is not overtly political ... (it was) conceived to not only reintroduce myself as an artist, but also serve as a summary of a lifetime of work ... contains many of my musical roots displayed for the first time like blues, jazz, and doo-wop. That combination ended up being a very accurate representatio of where I'm coming from and who I am today ... this was the most fun I've ever had making a record. We did it quickly ... we just took it into the studio and banged it out, six weeks from start to mix. It's one of those strange things, it really seems like it was meant to be." - Steven Van Zandt