CD of The Week

I’ve loved Jukebox the Ghost for a long time. If there’s one overarching statement I can make about them, it’s that they know how to make a damn catchy album about some heavy topics. Previous albums have covered everything from the end of the world to contracting schizophrenia over Ben Thornewill’s infections piano hooks.

Jukebox the Ghost, the band’s fourth album, continues that trend. It’s the happiest breakup album I’ve ever heard. Thornewill tells the Wall Street Journal that they wanted to make an album people could put on at parties. They definitely succeeded in that effort. But I’m left with some mixed feelings about the execution.

First, the good. This is the most sonically rich album the trio has put together. Each track is sound layered over sound layered over more sound, from the 80s-tastic explosions in the chorus of “Made for Ending” to synths to choral backup arrangements that feature on “Sound of a Broken Heart,” “When the Nights Get Long,” and most prominently on the slow and soulful “Undeniable You.”

The levels of layering texture work especially well for “Long Way Home,” the first ever real duet between Thornewill and guitarist Tommy Siegel. It’s not just their voices duetting but their instruments too, and it’s really just gorgeous to hear.

We’re treated to another big first on this album too - drummer Jesse Kristin trading his drumsticks for vocals in the first verse of “Hollywood.” His voice has a Vaudeville quality that gives the perfect vintage lead-in for a song that’s all about real relationships vs. movie screen tropes.

The desire to make a fun, light “party” record means Jukebox the Ghost has also made a more accessible album, and that’s where I’m left wanting more. Each track is neatly contained in a 3-minute package, give or take a few seconds, and a lot of the poetry that made me love their songwriting is missing on this release. The soundscapes they’ve created keep me listening, but the lyric writing isn’t enough to keep me actively tuned in. My ideal Jukebox album would combine the layers of sound they’ve uncovered for this release with the depth of writing from Let Live and Let Ghosts or Everything Under the Sun.

Overall, Jukebox the Ghostis a fun listen, but it errs a touch too far on the Top 40 side of pop for me. I’m hoping future releases will strike a better balance between infectious sound and lyrical depth.

Catch Jukebox The Ghost live this Saturday at Union Transferin Philadelphia.