New York dance trio Tortured Soul mix classic R&B and soul influences into the machine-tooled sound of traditional house music. Eschewing the usual sequencers and synths, the songs on Introducing Tortured Soul were recorded with live instruments, including real bass and drums and a very '70s-sounding electric piano. Add to this slick but warm-sounding setting John Christian Ulrich's pleading falsetto vocals and comparisons can be made both to camp disco icon Sylvester and British new wave dance-popper Jimmy Somerville, which furthers the appealingly retro qualities of this album. The songs are unapologetically poppy, with solid chorus hooks along with insistent beats, although they're invariably stretched out to elongated club-friendly lengths. A solidly entertaining album, Introducing Tortured Soul might appeal even to those who profess to dislike house music.