James Hunter is no bandwagoneer. The British blue-eyed soul man has churned out throwback R&B since 1996 debut …Believe What I Say. Turning to Daptone Records maestro Gabe Roth for production on 2013’s Minute by Minute, the singer retains the analog maestro for Hold On!, his debut on the iconic Brooklyn imprint. The LP zips through 10 tracks in a half-hour, all ballads and boppers in the mold of Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke, and Chuck Willis. They’re fine tunes with few faults, but they fail to add anything meaningful to the conversation. After all, Daptone’s spent 15 years raising the bar. (4:45pm, Tito’s Handmade Vodka stage)

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This article appears in September 30 • 2016.

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Thomas Fawcett has been freelancing for The Austin Chronicle since 2007. He likes good music and does not fake the funk.