It’s been a full decade since the last Sugarman Three album, and a lot’s happened in that time. Daptone has risen from an upstart label to spearhead an underground funk movement. Its flagship act, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, became a full-fledged success story, and Sugarman Three leader/saxophonist Neil Sugarman’s played with Amy Winehouse, Al Green and Jones’ Dap-Kings. This may account for the more relaxed vibe of What the World Needs Now compared with its 2002 predecessor Pure Cane Sugar. The revival mission’s already been accomplished, so the new disc doesn’t go out of its way to sound like a lost ‘70s funk nugget. The echo-drenched production of the earlier disc is gone, replaced by a no-frills live sound, and when they want some atmosphere, they bring in some friends to clap hands and shout in the background. Drummer Rudy Albin also sticks less tightly to the coiled-up funk backbeats he used to favor; allowing himself to open up and swing.

It’s also telling that they’ve chosen one of the ultimate feel-good ‘60s songs as their title track. Their version is a little tougher than most, but it retains the flower-power feel of the Bacharach/David tune. Organist Adam Scone’s solo is brief but blissful; in fact, nobody overdoes a solo anywhere on the disc, and only three songs top four minutes. Their cover of JJ Johnson’s “But It’s Alright” is more compact than the original, with organ standing in for the vocal line. Best of the three covers here is the Standells’ “Dirty Water,” a nod to Sugarman’s Boston roots (He played in the art-punk band Boys Life in the early ‘80s), transformed here from proto-punk into a cool finger-snapper. As for the originals, titles like “Mellow Meeting” and “Your Friendly Neighborhood Sugarman” tell the story. No pretensions, just a solid uplift.

Buy What the World Needs Now by The Sugarman 3 on iTunes

Listen to What the World Needs Now by The Sugarman 3 on Spotify