ELI "PAPERBOY" REED & THE TRUE LOVES:

ROLL WITH YOU

(Q DIVISION) ***½

There's a temptation to dismiss Eli "Paperboy" Reed, even after the first listen, as just another white boy with a silly nickname and delusions of soul.

But pay attention. This kid has a voice. And no matter how openly derivative his songs are (which isn't necessarily a bad thing anyway), that voice delivers.

Even with his influences on his sleeve, Reed isn't an imitator. He's absorbed Redding, Cooke, etc., but he sings like himself. No mimic could pull off "It's Easier," a ballad that deserves to be a soul classic.

Reed captures both the vulnerability and the toughness of real soul music, a mix few get right. Reed sounds like the real deal.

Download this: "It's Easier"