The
disc’s 12 tracks are full of dreamy pop with a 70’s vibe. One could
liken it to the jingle-jangle feel of The Byrds, with a plethora of
instruments creating a full and satiated sound. The effervescence of
each song leaves the album sounding softer, smoother and a little less
strident than their previous albums.
The
album kicks off with two sprightly sounding songs: “Born to Love You”
and “Babyface” – both consisting of spot-on, mellow harmonies. “Look At
Me Now” is an upbeat and catchy tune with buoyant guitar riffs, while a
more subdued “Trip Around the World” makes excellent use of the ukulele.
(I’m always a sucker for a good ukulele song.)
In
the sweet and soulful ballad, “Have You Been Cheated,” Blake brings the
lyrics to life as he sings, “You put all your best words in your worst
song and you can’t bear to sing it when they won’t sing along.”
The
album closes on a bittersweet note with “Time is Coming,” where among
the soft and melodic guitar, Blake sings “Will you hold me if I cry,
will you miss me if I die? Will you come and heal my wounds?”
At
the band’s record release gig at the Troubador in LA on May 17, Blake
proved he has lost none of the passion or intensity he had on prior
tours of either of his bands.
Opening
with a cover of Tom Petty’s “You Got Lucky,” Blake and the boys then
dove into “Babyface,” before treating the crowd to “I’ll Be Your Man,”
from 2006’s “Sun Sun Sun”.
During
the few moments between songs when the venue was quiet, members of the
audience started shouting out songs they wanted to hear. Most of them
yelled out “Ripchord” (a song off of Rilo Kiley’s 2004 album, “More
Adventurous”) while others requested The Elected’s “Bank and Trust,”
which Blake himself admitted he didn’t know how to play anymore.
At
live shows, I feel like the audience should just let them play what
they play. There’s a set list for a reason. If the band asks for
requests, then by all means speak up, but otherwise, just let them do
their thing. I know fans want to hear their old favorites, but sometimes
you have to let your favorite artists share their new material with
you. That’s why they’re there. That’s why they’re excited and why
they’ve been rehearsing over and over to give you the best performance
they can.
Anyway, back to the
show. After a few more songs off the new album – “Born to Love You,”
“Have You Been Cheated,” and “Where Are You” – and after a little tuning
problem with the guitar during “Time Is Coming,” they played a fan
favorite “Biggest Star,” which had Blake rocking out, while belting
“Honey, I can’t lose!”
For the
encore, they only played one song: “A Response to Greed” from 2004’s “Me
First”--leaving hungry fans salivating for more when the lights came
up. I’m sure I speak for the rest of the crowd when I say the show was a
big success and a great way to welcome back a guy who’s been gone from
the music scene way too long. (Sure, it’s only been a few years, but it
felt like a lifetime!) Welcome back, Blake!
