WALT 1610

“Young Sick Camelia” – St. Paul and the Broken Bones Review

Although constituting a precipitous departure from the soul-rock band that their first album named them to be, Birmingham’s St. Paul and the Broken Bones’ latest album, Young Sick Camelia, does follow the progression of the group from their last album, 2016’s Sea of Noise, pushing the band farther into the limits of funk than they have ventured in the past.

Although constituting a precipitous departure from the soul-rock band that their first album named them to be, Birmingham’s St. Paul and the Broken Bones’ latest album, Young Sick Camelia, does follow the progression of the group from their last album, 2016’s Sea of Noise, pushing the band farther into the limits of funk than they have ventured in the past.

One cannot help but hear the influence of disco, as well as the funkier side of R&B, in many of the tracks from Camelia, hearing the band indulge itself in its jamming attitude; catchy vocal and instrumental lines permeate each and every song on the album.

Whereas Paul Janeway, front man and namesake of the group, has been known to belt his lyrics with an unmatched voracity, Camelia often finds him reeling in his pipes to allow the music itself to flourish and come to the forefront. Given the already impressive variety of musicianship present on each of the Bones’ previous two albums, the musical prowess – and moreso the fun each musician is having on this album – comes as no surprise, yet never fails to please.

Another interesting feature of the album, also interspersed at several points, are interludes featuring Janeway’s grandfather discussing such tragic topics of Janeway’s own home as his experiences with the horrid weather which often rumbles through the deep South.

Such interjections of tragedy have been a key part of the Bones’ sound since Noise, on which Janeway’s vocals combat a variety of personal and social issues, yet these seem fresh in their nostalgia; the Alabama band acknowledging their roots while at the same time pointing to larger issues of both a personal and familial nature, such as ensuring Janeway’s grandfather’s happiness on the final interlude on the album.

The production on the album, conducted by hip-hop and R&B producer Jack Splash, gives the album a simultaneously full and airy feel, as if its interludes are a hot air balloon rising to the album’s conclusion, and the “proper songs” the basket carrying the listener on the journey.

Following the first interlude which begins the album, “Convex” is the perfect opener into the groove one should expect to come later in the album. The relatively simple rhythm layered with extravagant horns, luscious synth-piano, and a strangely driving bass line beautifully track Janeway’s lyrics, as each element plays into each other to comprise the story of a confused man somewhere between love and misery – a common theme in St. Paul’s writing.

Second comes easily the best disco dance track on the album, “GotItBad”, which would bring to dance even those with multiple left feet. One cannot help but bob their head to the simple yet layered instruments which comprise the vintage groove, as each plays exactly its part and no more. Janeway delivers surprisingly dark lyrics over the seemingly happy tune, as he laments the darker sides of Southern life and the general negative effects, in his eyes, of living according to tradition rather than exploring possibilities.

Next, “Nasa” comes along with a similarly constructed dance feel, while also rendering the feeling of escape brought to necessity by “GotItBad”. This musical feeling of ascent, however, is juxtaposed with Janeway’s own desire for, and failure to, escape his circumstances; again an unnamed woman seems to be the root of his troubles as he looks back on a failed relationship and tries to advance from its ashes.

Following “Nasa” comes the album’s lead single “Apollo”, embracing a funky, perfect mix of R&B and disco with a precise and eloquent horn section sure to make any audience try to sing along to Janeway’s occasionally indecipherable lyrics. While the song’s radio edit has already captured the listens and dancing shoes of many, the album version of the song adds an occasional odd break as well as a coda of sorts which only adds to the overall vibe of the song. Again, the Broken Bones/Jack Slash mixes shine as sound seems to cut straight to the listener’s heart.

Producer Jack Slash’s input clearly shines through on the next track, “Mr. Invisible”, as the intro is more reminiscent of a hip-hop track than one coming from an Alabama soul band, but no matter one’s opinion of the intro, the song transitions into a spacey section allowing Janeway to display his falsetto to the fullest alongside a subtle but ever-present synth. Again, there is no particular stand-out instrument on this song, as the entire band seems to genuinely create one sound from their playing; one has difficulty keeping focus on any one instrument for more than a few seconds.

To follow the driving “Mr. Invisible”, “Hurricane” opens with a subtle acoustic guitar paired only with Janeway’s voice, as each mourns independently for what is to come. As the track builds, Janeway reveals the decrepit nature of a particular scene: one not just of run-down nature but of the shared difficulties of the people in such an environment. Simply, Janeway sounds as if he has lost the identity of his home, as he fails to recognize the state it is in.

Following yet another interlude, “LivWithoutU” beings with the kind of subtle swagger that should belong to a king, and smoothly transitions to another bass-driven groove that begs to be danced to. As Janeway again sings of a lover, he seems significantly happier regarding the state of their relationship, stating that he cannot manage to “LivWithoutU”. Again, beautiful breaks litter the song in the best way, allowing each member of the Broken Bones to shine fully on the track.

“Concave”, along with many others on the album, allow strings to sing through on the album, a clear pattern from Noise, and one that only contributes positively to the album’s spacious nature. The wordplay in the title with the album’s first full song “Convex” is not subtle, yet the two songs are somehow beautifully intertwined, as “Convex” begins the struggles poised throughout the album, and “Concave” resolves them in a flurry of resignation to the fact of problems and the proposal of the question: “is it taking over me?”

To continue the hot air balloon metaphor from above, the album’s final full track, “Bruised Fruit”, sounds exactly like a look at the curvature of the earth looks: strangely melancholy and beautiful, evoking a sense of both unbridled possibilities as well as the minuteness of one man’s existence.

Ultimately, it is Janeway’s control of his voice that I find most impressive on this album; the music does enough speaking, and Janeway plays rhythm with his voice, as opposed to his extravagant and common solos taken on both Sea of Noise and Half the City, the group’s 2014 debut. Young Sick Camelia is no doubt an important step in the evolution of St. Paul and the Broken Bones, and although a step some long-time fans might disagree with, progress is certainly a word applicable to the change in style made by the band. The past is bright for St. Paul, and the future only looks brighter.