Early on in his career, J. Paul, Jr. was dubbed “Keith Frank, Jr.” due to his heavily influenced/copycat sound. That changed by the time the Houstonian released his fourth disc, Another Level, which signed his own signature and established his independence from his Louisiana brethren. His twelfth disc in 13 years is another of many firsts. It still follows the themes of love and relationships of previous discs, but what’s different are the multi-part harmonies that add a breezy touch of euphoria and optimism. Also novel are the songs sporting lushly synthesized intro tracks that are more akin to contemporary R&B than zydeco.

The last track, “Skit Zydeco Trouble,” is also a bit of departure, just voice and piano telling the story of a protagonist getting home to his beloved way too late. About the time the story reaches its emotional climax, it ends, never resolving what happens next. But that’s all part of the design; Paul models this as a sonic serial akin to R. Kelly’s “Trapped in the Closet.” It’s all an attempt to nudge Paul’s brand of nouveau zydeco closer to the mainstream, especially by featuring rappers like the nationally prominent Scarface on a booming hip-hop reprise of “Bounce Like a Rebel.” Whether or not Paul’s plan ever comes to fruition remains to be seen, but his contemporary zydeco has never been as artful as it is here.