St. Paul & The Broken Bones
Half The City
Single Lock Records

St. Paul and The Broken Bones are a soul band from Birmingham Alabama. An EP was released in 2012. This is their first full length recording released earlier this year. As a result the band received a 2014 Americana Award nomination as Best Emerging Artist.

The band consists of Paul Janeway, lead vocals; Brown Lollar, guitar (formerly with Jason Isbell); Jesse Phillips, bass; Andrew Lee, drums; Al Gamble, keyboards; Ben Griner, trombone, and Allen Branstetter, trumpet. When I saw them recently at Lincoln Center’s Americana Festival the band had grown to ten members some of whom graduated college as recently as 2012, the same year they formed. This album was produced by Ben Tanner of The Alabama Shakes.

Janeway, who was once training to be a Pentecostal preacher, had his interest in gospel music shift to soul music. As a singer Janeway has a vocal register similar at times to Otis Redding. The band has a Stax or Memphis sound. This album was recorded in Muscle Shoals and mixed at Fame Studios.

The band shares writing credits on the songs but Janeway usually contributes the lyrics.  The album opens with “I’m Torn Up” which starts as a slow ballad but ends up with Janeway soul shouting. “Don’t Mean a Thing” and “Call Me” really give the horn section a chance to work out. “Broken Bones & Pocket Change”, “Sugar Dyed” and the title track “Half The City” might be Janeway’s best vocals. Lollar’s guitar and the horns provide the drama on “That Glow”. “Like A Mighty River” is a well produced song effectively utilizing some background vocalists.

When performing live the band includes some select covers. Look for this band to carry the soul tradition forward. The Americana Award for Best Emerging Artist will be announced in September. Win or loose their youth should garner them many new fans.
Richard Ludmerer