Their just-released second album Living by the Minute evokes the hard-boiled funk of James Brown, the Memphis howl of Otis Redding and Al Green, and the percolating parade beat of New Orleans, but with a lean, modern energy. Hoyer's lyrics, enlivened by the husky charcoal purr of his voice, also keep his songs in the present, especially in the title number, which brims with urban desperation, and "Over the City," which sounds like a lost outtake from Curtis Mayfield's timeless Super Fly. - Ted Drozdowski - The Nashville Scene 'Living By the Minute' is a rich and warm album that would play well in the 1970s. Hoyer has a strong voice and the record covers a lot of ground with ease and grace. - Josh Rhoten - Wyoming Tribune Eagle This group brings an authentic soul, funk and R&B sound with a contemporary groove that is best experienced through their high-energy live performance. Hoyer's authentic lyrics, his soulful (sometimes in-your-face) vocals and a top-notch band, including a blazing horn section make this group worth a listen. The electricity that comes from a JHATS jam will make your arm hair stand on end. - Gulf Coast News Today "Don't let the geography fool you: the Midwest can be soulful too. Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal are something of a musical clown car.... This variety means that their tracks can include horns, keyboard, guitars--basically, anything they want. But frontman Hoyer...is the band's sole songwriter, and has a tremendous ear for how to get all these instruments to flow together. -Emelia Fredlick - Paste Magazine I think that Josh Hoyer must have been weaned on Memphis dry rub BBQ, as this disc that he leads along with Benny Kushner/g, Justin Jones/dr, Josh Bargar/b, Mike Dee/sax, Tommy Van Den Berg/tb, Brian Morrow/fl and a trio of vocalists sounds like it came right out of a smoking Stax recording session. This one sweats from start to finish. - George W Harris - JazzWeekly.com It's not old-school Memphis, Detroit or Chicago, but modern soul blues for modern times. Hoyer delivers on all counts: Fresh tunes, solid rhythms and a message worthy of being heard." - Marty Gunther, Blues Blast Magazine 'Living By The Minute' is filled with: the essence of New Orleans; the musical shadow of Bill Withers; the musical logic of Earth, Wind & Fire; the vocal power of any number of singers who were the best of their generation; and the soul of an original who is here to continue the legacy that soul bridges one community to another -- Josh Hoyer. - Greg Victor - Parcbench As the lyrics suggest, "The people got soul," and Hoyer and Soul Colossal absolutely crush it. Hoyer really shows control and maturity in his vocals, making it easy to believe he's been doing this since he was 8 years old. No doubt with time, this band will only get tighter and continue to deliver soulful, funky jams for music lovers of all genres. - Kiley Stevens, Blues Rock Review Josh, a fan of Otis Redding, James Brown, and Curtis Mayfield, is a composer of songs so evocative listeners might mistake some, such as "The First One," for classic standards instead of the contemporary observations of a Midwesterner. - Stacy Jeffress, American Blues Scene 'Living By The Minute', coming out January 13th, 2015 from Silver Street Records, is a powerful Soul statement, combining the sheer power of Otis Redding, the Funk of James Brown, and the social immediacy of Puzzle People era Temptations...Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal don't serve up Neo-Soul, Hip-Hop Soul, or some other updated notion of Soul music. This is the straight-up undiluted stuff. - Victor S. Aaron - SomethingElseReviews.com "Living By The Minute" is what you'll be doing when you listen to this groovy majestic beast of soul music, and you'll find pleasure in every second. - Joe Wade - Daily Nebraskan