James Hall has never shied away from drama. No matter the musical configuration, he has made nervy, musically intense albums and held center stage, regardless of the instrumentation or players around him. Tonight, One Eyed Jacks hosts a CD-release party for Hall’s new album, The Futura Bold, his first album since the break-up of the Pleasure Club.

Hall moved to Atlanta after Katrina, and the Futura Bold – the band and album – is the product of his time there with new bandmates Chris Piskun and Bruce Butkovich. Hall’s lyrical and musical vocabulary still leans toward the gothic, but he dials down the glam that was central to Pleasure Club. Because of that, ballads and rock songs alike take on a more human scale and gain immediacy. Hall sounds as close to relaxed as he’ll ever get, and the layers of guitar give the songs atmosphere without dulling their rhythmic edge.

The only thing that’s missing from the recording is the sense that Hall might die if doesn’t say his peace, which gave the Pleasure Club an urgency that was as thrilling as it was exhausting. The Futura Bold doesn’t wear you out, but it also gives you reassurance that James Hall will continue to struggle with his place in his skin and will continue find compelling musical ways to express that unease.