If I don't pay a lot of attention to the solo on first listen, it usually means the singer is sticking to the feel of the original without doing much else to catch my interest. That's fine with me, as long as the rest of the group is also giving me something to pay attention to. To their credit, TheBus does not suffer greatly for this egalitarianism. Because their membership changes substantially each year, Mixed Company maintains a youthful collegiate exuberance, translating into an energy powerfully infectious for the listener. At the same time, by drawing on the arranging skills of members both past and present, the group is able both to sing what it knows and dabble in some innovative sound.
Some arrangements are more standard fare than others.
A few, however, simply shine with interesting sounds and elaborate part-voicings, drawing on the large size of the group to generate rich textures of sound. At times this complexity turns on the group, with some songs seemingly muddled or on the verge of chaos. The female soloists are generally good, soulful and in touch with what they're singing. Male solos range from capably performed to mildly disappointing. By the same token, the bass voices can sound a bit naked bouncing around down there, and vocal percussion, while shining on some tracks, has a tendency to sound chuffy and amateurish.