St. Paul and the Broken Bones St. Paul and the Broken Bones LP (Opaque Fuschia Vinyl)

In rock-music mythos, the self-titled album is a line in the sand—typically signifying a reinvention, a reunion, or a return to roots. St. Paul and the Broken Bones, the sixth LP from Birmingham, Alabama's ever-evolving Southern-soul giants, is somehow all of these things at once—carrying forward the experimental spirit of their back-to-back heavyweights The Alien Coast and (2022) Angels in Science Fiction (2023), but with a warmer, more accessible vibe that recalls the fun, exuberance, and buoyancy of their breakout debut, Half the City (2014), and beloved follow-ups Sea of Noise (2016) and Young Sick Camellia (2018). As singer and co-founder Paul Janeway puts it, these 10 songs represent a "reset and a refresh" after a frenetic few years.

"It's the outcome of the book we wrote with the last records," he says, surveying the band's evolution into a period that touched on art-rock structures, stoner metal atmosphere, and rap beats. "[The self-titled album] is what the band is now. I think the band in general feels reignited...Making this record was a long journey, but I think it's one of those rare times where it felt really worth it. It feels very much like a renewed energy. And who knows? We might make our death metal record next."