Rebel Transmission

What’s new this time out for Rebel Transmission is a more prominent pop influence added to the Canadian quartet’s gumbo of vintage R&B, street-corner gospel, and homespun folk. If the album seems a response to the band’s recent success, the music here retains the heartfelt and almost giddy sense of joy that made its first release such a standout. Singer/keyboardist Joel Parisien infuses his Christian testimony with a genial glow that’s hard to resist. Tracks like “Radio Ghost Town,” “Homeless Child," and “5,6,7,8” match his effusive spirit with thumping retro-soul beats and the zesty brass of The Chops Horns. Rather than simply revive the sounds of Motown and Stax, NewWorldSon adds a dash of hip-swinging funk on “Shake Holy Spirit,” offers sparkling country on “Sweet Grace,” and delves into doo-wop on “Old Time Religion.” Ballads like “Today” (a plainspoken declaration of faith) and “Southern Cross” (a traveler’s ode to home) bring some reflective moments to the party. Rebel Transmission refines NewWorldSon’s music a bit, but the band’s festive revival air remains as appealing as ever.