Styx - The Mission - 2017
I had been aware of a new Styx album in 2017, but figured it couldn't be worth much focus. I mean, few bands come out with a gem late in their career. I think Rowe suggested listening to the song Locomotive, and I was quickly hooked. The band, led by Tommy Shaw, and without Dennis DeYoung, came through with a cool concept album that sounds like a tribute to their old classic songs, as well as those by Queen, Pink Floyd, Boston and others. The Mission is about sending astronauts to Mars, and loosely details the dangers of getting there. It's surprisingly evoking and memorable, especially as the album gets into the the 5th track or so. With the exception of maybe one song, I enjoyed the whole album and for a while was starting it up again once reaching the end. Kudos to Styx for knocking out a winner so late in the game. It's disappointing that it received so little attention. Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour - 2018
From the very start of Golden Hour, the heavy reverb and sparse, crystal clear acoustic guitar signaled to me this would be no ordinary album. Golden Hour is an instant classic in the vein of Beck's Sea Change or Rufus Wainwright's Poses. Great songwriting, dreamy arrangements, and pristine recording made this one of my most listened to albums of 2018. As a country music outcast, Kacey Musgraves does what she wants and doesn't care about fitting the bill. With this mostly pop - but country influenced album, there are many stand out tracks like Butterflies, Oh What a World, Golden Hour, and Slow Burn. Kacey co-produced the album with Daniel Tashian from The Silver Seas, which is an obscure but favorite band of mine. We're set to see Musgraves in concert in February. I'm excited. Hoobastank - Push Pull - 2017
Moving on to Hoobstank, the band with likely the worst name ever. They had a hit with The Reason in 2004 and Push Pull is sort of a comeback album. Like their previous material, their angsty teenage anthem rock is present, but this time with a twist. What's new is a more electronic/dance sound on some tracks, and poignant lyrics about relationships, as well as doing what makes you happy versus worrying about what others think. It wasn't lost on me that their fans might not like this new style, and Hoobastank was preemptively saying "we're grown men now and we'll do what we want." What I've always liked is the band's pristine sonic quality and their layered harmonies, which are still there. This energetic album was great for getting yardwork done over the summer. However, I had to delete their awful and odd cover of Everybody Rules the World from my album playlist. Tenacious D - Post Apocalypto - 2018
Post Apocalypto may be silly and crude, but underneath is a really heartfelt commentary on the state of the world. The songs follow a goofy animated narrative that "The D" wrote and crudely illustrated themselves. The songs are super catchy but also completely inappropriate to sing in front of your nine-year-old son. For example, the song 'Hope' may be the only one with no F-bombs. After listening to it many times, I suspect the story of surviving after a 'nuclear holocaust' is a metaphor for finding a way to deal with our current administration and the sad the state of the world. Heavy stuff for a parody band.To me the first half of the album is the strongest, (listen to Take Us Into Space), and with only 18 minutes of music, it goes by quickly. Jack Black does the voices for all the characters other than KG, and while it sounds like he recorded it at home in just one take, the low quality character performances may make it even funnier. Roosevelt- Young Romance - 2018
Spotify suggested I check out Roosevelt, and while until now I wasn't sure if Roosevelt was a guy or a band (he's German-born Marius Lauber), I really like his synth-pop sound that layers in electric guitar and sweet grooves. The same week I discovered Roosevelt's music I saw he was performing at Holocene here in Portland. Roosevelt was backed by three other musicians, and their sound was tight. I was impressed with his vocals, and was glad to hear my new favorite songs live. Check out Illusions and Pangea
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