“Forever Muscle Shoals,” the new album by singer-songwriter Chrissi Poland, is powerful not only because it draws on the nostalgia of someone who grew up listening to some of soul music’s greatest voices, but also because it taps into the musical memory of countless listeners who, even without realizing it, have been influenced to varying degrees by the genre’s classics.
The challenge was intimidating, but the result dissolves that fear of revisiting songs as monumental as “The Best Thing You Ever Had,” “Wild Horses,” and “Steal Away.” With a voice distinctly her own, Poland pays tribute to Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Wilson Pickett, Cher, and Bob Dylan, among other figures who changed the course of music history.
“Returning to The Shoals to honor the music and artistry that shaped me, and to be part of a new era of recording happening in this sacred geographical corner of American music, is nothing short of a dream come true,” Poland said.
The origins of “Forever Muscle Shoals” date back to 2022, when the artist visited FAME Studios during a tour stop in Florence, Alabama. Stepping into the same space where some of the most influential recordings in American soul had been made prompted an immediate reaction. Poland realized that simply visiting the studio was not enough. She had to return and record there.
Produced by Jay Tooke and Poland, the album was recorded live at FAME Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, two spaces inseparable from the region’s sonic identity.
Chrissi Poland understands the difficulty of approaching compositions of this stature, but her voice provides a consistent thread throughout a wide-ranging repertoire. It moves from the urgency of “Watch Dog” to the self-assured stance of “Respect Yourself,” featuring Ryan Shaw, and the conversational force of “Sit Down and Talk This Thing Over.”
One of the album’s most recognizable moments arrives with “Wild Horses,” featuring James Otto. The Jagger-Richards composition has taken on distinct character across versions, from The Flying Burrito Brothers’ early country-rock interpretation to Susan Tedeschi’s Muscle Shoals rendition.
“Hold On, I’m Comin’” occupies an especially personal place on the record. Poland dedicates her rendition to Sam Moore, one half of Sam & Dave and a defining voice in soul music, with whom she toured for more than a decade. She also plays Rhodes and percussion on the track, joined by Jay Tooke on guitar and percussion and Jeff Babko on B3 organ and Wurlitzer.
The album establishes another of its deepest connections to Muscle Shoals through “I Never Loved a Man (The Way That I Love You),” the song Aretha Franklin recorded at FAME Studios during the landmark 1967 session that helped define both her Atlantic era and the Muscle Shoals sound. Poland has said that, while recording her own version, she could feel the vibrations of Aretha and Etta James in the room. The journey concludes with Bob Dylan’s “When He Returns,” carrying the record into explicitly spiritual territory.
The project seeks to keep the songs embedded in our collective memory alive while reaffirming Muscle Shoals as a living place where quality music continues to be made.
Dedicated to her daughter Nova and to the legendary artists and musicians honored through its songs, “Forever Muscle Shoals” transforms a lifetime of influence into an act of gratitude. Soul is still alive, and Chrissi Poland is determined to make that clear.
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