The Band That Saved the World

For years, the Band That Saved the World has been known for providing an extra-fun evening of entertainment, guaranteed. With rump-shaking rhythms, Shaft-era chicken-scratch guitar, horny horns that flitter and buzz like bees and frontman Shannon Savoie’s ringmaster theatrics, the Lawrence-based octet definitely knows how to deliver the live goods. Like TBTSTW concerts, the group’s latest studio effort, Changes, is energetic and funky and probably goes on a little longer than it should. At just less than 74 minutes, Changes would have benefited from tighter editing. Instrumental filler such as “Ffffft” (all drum sounds created via balloon, the liner notes warn) will have most listeners reaching for the skip button.

The group fares better on its trademark upbeat material, including longtime concert favorite “Funk Bus” and the percussive thumper “The Name of Creation.” “Secret Sunshine” is as strident as its title implies, but its beaming chorus gets a little slick around the edges. It’s a criticism that’s also been leveled at Savoie, whose sickly sweet lyrics occasionally border on parody. Spouting earnest philosophy taken straight from the patchouli-scented pages of the Lenny Kravitz book of life, Savoie’s muscular voice is no match for his flowery prose: If wishes were raindrops, we’d swim everywhere and the roads would be covered with streams, he croons on “Lasso the Moon.” Yikes! But the singer redeems himself on the soul workout “Let You Go,” delivering an impassioned performance that owes more to Otis Redding than it does to Donovan. The outfit’s charms are best experienced in a club setting, but for fans looking to go a few extra miles on the funk bus, Changes is just the ticket.