St. Paul and The Broken Bones’ brand of soul is at once defiant, longing, gentle and joyful. It’s their experimentation within the genre that makes them relatable and relevant, and Half The City does an excellent job of catering to a wide range of listeners.
If you’re prone to emotion, grab the tissue box for ‘I’m Torn Up’, because this opening track is so careful and powerful that you’ll want to run and give vocalist Paul Janeway a big hug by the end. In fact, Janeway’s vocals are extraordinary consistently throughout the album, bringing Otis Redding’s tenderness and texture to mind. They must not be overlooked, particularly on ‘Grass Is Greener’ and ‘It’s Midnight’, where even the tiny details and vocal inflections shine.
But the mood quickly changes from solemn to upbeat from song to song, and there is a nice change of pace in tracks like ‘Sugar Dyed’ and ‘Don’t Mean A Thing’. However, ‘Call Me’ really steals the show with its catchy hook, and the composition moves along without a hitch.
Much like artists such as Leon Bridges, St. Paul and The Broken Bones are bringing a modern take to the soul genre whilst simultaneously letting old influences shine through, making this album an easygoing, nostalgic listen.
BY ERIN ROONEY
