For more than a decade now, singer/songwriter Kevin Barnes has been a fountainhead of pop hooks, and his band, Of Montreal, has been the interpretive machine that’s kept it all interesting. No matter the context—from the charming acoustic confessionals of 1997’s Cherry Peel to the grief-stricken head trips of last year’s Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?—Barnes’ melodies have always been the stars. They tend to be wonderful, inviting you to sing along with the force of a Queen anthem, or a Kinks ode to the British countryside. So, if this perennial indie band from Athens, Georgia, managed to break out as a mainstream pop force, it would make sense. And given the advance buzz for Skeletal Lamping, the band’s ninth album, this seems to be its best shot yet. Until you listen to it.

It only takes a verse and chorus of “I Worship the Ground You Walk On” to realize that Jimmy Hughes is one of the most criminally overlooked early maestros of the soul music explosion. This Alabama singer’s testifying tenor hits that rare and perfect spot where solemn churchiness and juke joint grit meet. Here’s a long overdue collection that proves Hughes’ 1964 hit “Steal Away”—a tempered plea of a love song that he also penned—might not even the best record he ever cut. Evidence Hughes’ deeply gospel inflection on “Stormy Monday Blues,” his conflicted passion on “Midnight Affair,” or the easy sway of “Too Much,” and his superbly funky take on the standard “High Heeled Sneakers.” The Best of Jimmy Hughes does more than tell the story of this guy who quit his job at the rubber factory to tour with the likes of Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson, only to give up on his musical career by the mid-1970s. This is also the story of Fame Records founder Rick Hall and his dedication to music he believed in. Perhaps greatest of all, here is also the story of the famed Muscle Shoals sound, so central to Southern soul music, which was born and nurtured at Fame Recording Studios. The liner notes tell the skeleton story of how Hall launched Fame and refused to give up on getting a hit out of Hughes, but lack some key elements like songwriting credits and recording dates. A few more pieces to complete the back story puzzle would be nice. Still, that’s a small gripe. The 18 tracks found here ultimately tell the story better than any insert booklet ever could. And if you’re wondering: Hughes is alive and well in Alabama, enjoying his second glimmer of stardom and the interest in his incomparable craft, thanks to this just released collection.