St. Paul & The Broken Bones SEA OF NOISE

Since their breakthrough debut, Half the City, brass-reinforced retro-soul ensemble St. Paul & the Broken Bones grew to an eight-piece with the addition of a keyboardist and a woodwinds specialist, and signed with a new label (RECORDS). They also looked to somewhat reel in lead singer Paul Janeway's emphatic soul delivery. Not that there was any technical fault to be found with his impassioned performances on Half the City, but having been quite new to professional singing at the time it was recorded -- live in the studio, with the pressure on -- he soon learned to embrace concepts like balance and nuance. That, combined with songs that draw on more socially conscious inspirations, moves the band's sound from fiery ballads of the '60s toward the What's Going On era, resulting in the notably more pensive Sea of Noise. The arrangements here are still at least as dynamic, however, with not only the expanded lineup, but the addition of a string quartet and choir on some songs. Synths,