A tight ensemble with a gospel-tinged, retro-soul sound complete with horns and a dynamic lead singer in Paul Janeway, Birmingham, Alabama's St. Paul & the Broken Bones' stirring live shows quickly garnered them a fan following that they would later challenge by maturing in a more thoughtful, high-concept direction. They made their recording debut in 2014 with Half the City, an album that echoed the Stax and Muscle Shoals records of the late 1960s and early '70s. The group only expanded their sound as they delved into more socially conscious and personal material featuring more sophisticated production on 2018's Young Sick Camellia, and followed a still more cerebral, psychedelic trajectory with 2022's The Alien Coast and 2023's Angels in Science Fiction.