Butch Walker’s sixth solo album finds the former Marvelous 3 frontman hitting his stride. What’s immediately noticeable here is how these songs sound like the product of a band collaborating, rather than a solo album. The Black Widows give the opening “Bodegas and Blood” a palpable chemistry of roots rock and power pop. And even though there’s a trace element of T. Rex boogie in “Every Single Body Else” it’s the barbed guitar-pop and vintage instrument tones that are salient. “Summer of ‘89” is a standout with its gang vocals, instantly memorable melodies and snarky lyrics (“Smothering the cover of a '69 summer/ Played through a speaker of fuzz/ Nobody knew Bryan Adams wasn’t cool/ The TV just told me he was”) that work along side more nostalgic narratives where Walker reminisces about listening to KISS, learning to smoke, and partying with European girls.
Featured On
- Marvelous 3
- The Fags
- Ryan Adams
- Tinted Windows
- Brian Fallon
- Rhett Miller