No punk-funk or third-generation ska retreads here. Instead, instrumentalists like keyboard specialist Chad Aman, clavinetist Geoff Cleveland and trombonist Gary Mallory create gently jazzy, casually engaging rhythms and melodies. Shaw joins in with bongos and laid-back singing that entwines with the sinuous warbling of Melinda Dickson and Elizabeth Rose, who was once with (another flashback) Sympathy F. As a result, tracks such as "Happy Feelings" and "I Can Relate" exude an evocative, end-of-the-evening vibe that's mellow without seeming tired.
Shaw's brand-new groove may catch longtime fans off guard, but as Feed Your Soul demonstrates, change is good.