From the first notes of 100 Days, 100 Nights, it's apparent that Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings are in a different mood than the one they were in when they made their first two albums. Where Dap-Dippin' and Naturally were full-on heavy funk workouts that perfectly captured the spirit of early 1970s soul, this record draws more of its feel and atmosphere from late-60s Motown. It may seem like a fine distinction, but it results in a slightly smoother, more refined record that nonetheless bursts with raw emotion and stinging grooves.

The opening swirl of horns sets up the darker, airier vibe right away, settling your ears into the sound before the rhythm section kicks in and Jones drops in with her powerful, gospel-trained voice. Jones shows her Augusta, Georgia, roots at the song's mid-point when she pulls a classic James Brown move, calling on the band to slow down and give her time to think, a command they dutifully obey.

Among the biggest keys to the Dap-Kings' success is that Jones is a fantastic singer, a masterful soul vocalist in the best tradition of Etta James, Bettye Lavette, and Irma Thomas. She can wail when she needs to, has access to a gentle falsetto when the song requires it, and has impeccable control, with a full-throated tone that grabs your attention. Jones isn't a fresh-faced youngster imitating her heroes, either-- she was at it in the 70s, singing backup on funk and disco records while seeking her own big break, but moved to gospel in the 80s when her style fell out of favor. In between her early career and her revival in the mid-90s, she worked as a prison guard and also did armored vehicle security work, and she brings the same tough, no-nonsense approach those jobs require to her music.

The band, and lead composer Gabriel Roth (aka Bosco Mann) in particular, has a firm understanding of the material they're channeling. This is not pastiche-- it's soul music that came along about thirty-five years late. The production is so spot-on it's like a time warp, and drummer Homer Steinweiss inhabits his decades-old beats so thoroughly he makes them feel fresh again. You get the sense of musicians in a room together, and the horns blend in the air of the studio before ever reaching the mixing board. This music is a throwback for sure, but it's so uncontrived that it doesn't come off like one.

Jones and the boys have grown quite well into their spot at the forefront of the old-school soul revival, ahead of fellow travelers like the Poets of Rhythm, Lefties Soul Connection, Nicole Willis, the Budos Band, and Amy Winehouse, who's become the movement's commercial and tabloid face. They follow their muse across the soul map, cutting a sublime Motown groove on "Tell Me", jumping on a nasty funk vamp on "Nobody's Baby", slowing things down for a burning southern soul ballad on "Humble Me", and going back to Jones' gospel roots on the jaw-dropping closer "Answer Me".

Anyone with a taste for old funk and soul will love this record, from the most dusty-fingered crate diggers to kids who just like what they hear on the oldies station. They may not be doing anything especially new, but Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings are the very best at what they do, and they've made another excellent album.