JamBase has a review of the new record by Laura Reed and Deep Pocket:
Soul:Music is the debut recording from Asheville, North Carolina-based Laura Reed & Deep Pocket. An apt title, the album is full of sultry, southern soul and gospel, richly textured reggae and undulating, moving funk. Reed’s conscious lyrics lean toward the socio-economic, as the 23-year-old South African native studied sustainable development at nearby Boone. Even the CD packaging made of hemp. Vocally, her voice is nasal in tone and high in register, akin to early recordings from Joan Osborne or Erykah Badu….
Independently released, Soul:Music won’t bring Reed & Deep Pocket idol worship, but with infectious melodies, upbeat socio-conscious lyrics and varied musical styles rooted deep in history this is certainly a young and talented band with a groove worth getting into.