Matthew de Heus & The Juice: “So*p (Soup Without U)” (2023/2024) Vinyl Review

Matthew de Heus is a singer and songwriter based in Michigan. I got turned onto his work in 2018, when he released Silk Purses, which contained a mix of covers and original songs. It was his voice that first grabbed me. And his voice continues to be a large part of his appeal, though the music on his latest release, So*p (Soup Without U), is a whole lot of fun. Much of the music on it has a funky 1970s vibe, and the record even includes a cover of an Atlanta Rhythm Section song from 1976. It came out digitally last year, has now been released on vinyl. It features mostly original material, and is presented on colored vinyl that resembles soup, or bisque, itself.

Side 1

Matthew de Heus opens the record with “WOW (In A Good Way),” which begins with a good beat and very quickly becomes catchy. It’s a delicious, funky and fun number, and it had me on my feet and dancing within moments.  “I’m looking good and feeling fine/Got places to be, got things to do.” This groove is just so good. This is the kind of song to turn any home into the best kind of dance club. “Said, damn, you crank it up.” Oh yes! There is tremendous joy here, in the music and in any who listen. Matthew de Heus then slows things down a bit with a cover of Atlanta Rhythm Section’s “So In To You,” but obviously still delivers the funk and the cool. And his delivery is perfect. He’s in control, confident, yet still driven by a need and desire. “When you walked into the room/There was voodoo in the vibe/I was captured by your style/But I could not catch your eye/Now I stand here helplessly/Hoping you get in to me.” Sometimes we just get completely bowled over by a woman when we first see her. It happened to me. I love how direct this song is. There is nothing subtle about it.

Like this album’s first track, “Just Write The Book” gets going with a beat. And there is some great, heavy bass sound. Guitarist William Hystad joins Matthew de Heus on this track. “I’ll just write the song/The kind of anthem that makes people sing along/About peace and love and better times.” The song builds in power at that moment, and then that guitar lead seriously rocks. Holy moly, is that good! And this track features some delicious backing vocal work. That’s followed by the album’s title track, the playfully titled “So*p (Soup Without U).” This song has a delightful disco vibe to match that playful title, and again I am on my feet, dancing around the small space my apartment affords me. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “Sometimes I get confused/About the way I feel and the things I thought I knew/There’s one thing I conclude/I just don’t like soup without you.” How could anyone fail to enjoy this track? And I love the line, “My belly’s full, my heart is not.” And check out that guitar work toward the end. There is some good jamming here. “Don’t need a menu,” Matthew sings in this one, though the track list on back of the record jacket is called the menu.

Side 2

The second side kicks off with “Mona Lisa Smile,” a fun and catchy rock number with a good beat and an energetic and earnest vocal performance. “It’s not fancy, but I like your style/You can make anything look Miracle Mile/There’s no mystery to your feminine wiles.” I absolutely love his vocals here, yet it is the guitar part that provides the song’s catchy hook. And there are hand claps. As on the album’s first side Matthew de Heus then slows things down with this side’s second track, “Fall In To You.” There is a darker tone to this song as it begins, and as he sings the song’s title line, there is a sense of a loss of control, which is wonderful. It is in that moment that he really draws us in. And “Not every sin needs to be original” is a fantastic line. I also love the way that instrumental section at the end builds in power, especially because of the guitar work.

Then we get a track titled “Groove.” With a title like that, it’s no surprise that this song has a delicious groove. And it’s a song about music. “It’s Friday night, you got nothing left to prove/It’s Friday night, well,  you got to make your move/It’s Friday night, oh girl, you look so smooth/It’s Friday night, got to find a band that grooves.” Well, you’ve found one, and this track features some nice guitar work. This song contains a little nod to Queen’s “Another Bites The Dust.”  That’s followed by “(You’re The) Milky Way,” a sweet-sounding number with a Latin vibe. “The midnight sky is a deeper shade of blue/It’s a perfect canvas to paint my plans for you.” Matthew de Heus included this song on his previous release, 2022’s Greatest Misses. That album was a collection of previously released material, with a few new songs, including this one, which opened the album. Then, after approximately a minute of silence, there is an unlisted track, a cover of “You Spin Me Right Round,” which he had also included on Greatest Misses, and on Silk Purses before that. It’s good to have this one on vinyl.

Record Track List

Side 1

1. WOW (In A Good Way)
2. So In To You
3. Just Write The Book
4. So*p (Soup Without U)

Side 2

1. Mona Lisa Smile
2. Fall In To You
3. Groove
4. (You’re The) Milky Way

So*p (Soup Without U) was released on vinyl on March 29, 2024. It was released digitally on May 10, 2023, and on CD a little later that month. Interestingly, his name is listed as Matthew de Heus on the CD, but Matt de Heus on the record, and the “& The Juice” is only mentioned on the vinyl edition. Also, the hidden track is only on the record, not on the CD or the digital version.