Bristol O2 Academy – 29th July 2022
Bristol must feel like a ways away from Birmingham, Alabama, but eight piece Southern soul group St Paul and the Broken Bones were welcomed as if it were home. And they responded in kind, swooning the Academy crowd with their elegant, upbeat and charming ensemble.
The first opportunity to give the UK the live experience of “The Alien Coast” didn’t disappoint. A fever dream in sonic form, St. Paul & The Broken Bones’ new album represents the most adventurous and original output yet from an ever-evolving musical powerhouse.
The band’s fourth full-length and first for ATO Records strays far from the time-bending soul of past work like their 2014 debut, arriving at a convergence of rock & roll and R&B, psychedelia and funk. At turns explosive, elegant, and unhinged, that sound makes for a majestic backdrop to St. Paul & The Broken Bones’ visceral exploration of the strangest dimensions of the human psyche.
The band work together like a finely tuned engine. Each a single working piston, but each a master of their instrument, so that the combined sound has the effect of an engine purring like a sports car.
The set was tight and elegant. An honourable mention goes out to front person Paul Janeway’s contagious stage presents, and jazzy dance moves.
With elements of psychedelic sounds, a range of contemporary references and a slight unhinged and adventurous overtone, the set was lots of fun, and energy filled the walls of the venue.
And the Bristol crowd drifting off into the night with a skip in their step, smiles on their faces and some extra soul in their soul.
Kate Feast Photography
