Rock & Roll renaissance man delivers Soap & Water, his debut for Yep Roc Records, on October 2nd

"Chuck Prophet is a real find, an innovative genre-fusing talent with a wry sense of humor and fearless approach to musical alchemy." - USA TODAY

"Prophet's a west coast Jim Carroll." - ROLLING STONE

When he performed on Austin City Limits, Chuck Prophet was introduced as a singer who "defies categorization," and he sounds more artistically restless than ever on 'Soap and Water', his first album in over three years, and his debut for Yep Roc Records. Set for October 2 release, the album features twelve new songs all written or co-written by Prophet. It was recorded in his hometown of San Francisco, and Nashville, and co-produced by Prophet and Brad Jones (Dolly Parton, Yo La Tengo, Josh Rouse).

Jesus, Elvis, and Anna Nicole Smith all turn up on Soap and Water and that's just in one song. Elsewhere, Prophet conjures stories of small town girls and damaged goods, missed opportunities and happy endings.

Mojo Magazine once wrote, "Forget water into wine; [Chuck Prophet] turns Americana into rock, pop, rap and R&B." To wit, "Freckle", the opening track on Soap and Water is a one-chord stomper that finds Prophet playing the cad. But it's followed by "Would You Love Me", a soulful ballad of genuine regret about the afore mentioned Christ/Presley/Smith triumvirate, featuring a haunting melodica and children's church choir. Then there's "Doubter Out of Jesus (All Over You)," a serious spooker that channels Alex Chilton and Alan Vega in equal measure. The children's choir returns, this time manifesting something more akin to menace than innocence. A cold drum machine pattern and shimmering keyboards complete the scene, descending like a first frost.

It's the moody brilliance of songs like these that have earned Prophet the respect of his peers. In addition to his own catalog, which spans 20-odd years, he has collaborated with Warren Zevon, Dan Penn and Alejandro Escovedo among many others, and his songs have been recorded by everyone from Solomon Burke to Heart. He also produced the new Kelly Willis album "Translated From Love," released last month on Rykodisc. In 2006, Prophet launched his own record label, (((belle sound))) releasing archival recordings by his seminal 1980s band Green on Red ("By far one of the best bands in the United States for almost an entire decade," according to the New York Times), and a new album by Sonny Smith. Prophet is also currently at work on a spoken word project for Chronicle Books about the artist's life on the road.