The Beths – Jump Rope Gazers
The Beths are a band that I recently became aware of, simply from hearing their songs pop up on playlists. Eventually, I decided to check out their 2018 debut album, Future Me Hates Me, and immediately fell in love with the quirkiness of the airy lead vocals, contrasted against energetic, big-guitar instrumental textures, taken straight from the 90s alternative playbook, drawing clear influence from the likes of Green Day and Weezer. This is exactly the kind of fun, delightful indie rock that belongs on any summer playlist. Upon discovering that their sophomore album was coming this year, I knew I had to check it out. And it honestly didn’t disappoint. We pretty much hear more of the same with Jump Rope Gazers that we heard on Future Me Hates Me. And even though this is something that many sophomore records are criticized for, it isn’t always necessarily a bad thing. In the case of The Beths, their sound is still far from growing stale, and the songwriting quality hasn’t gone down a bit with this record. Get ready to fall in love with the fun, energetic upbeat guitar tunes, as well as the softer moments, where the instrumentation takes a backseat to the genuine and vulnerable lyricism. The Beths are certainly a band that has some room to grow, but they have an absolutely irresistible sound, and I fully expect to have this album in regular rotation for the rest of the summer. You should too.
Score: 4/5
Kansas – The Absence of Presence
Kansas are without a doubt one of the quintessential dad rock bands. You know, those bands from the 70s and 80s that are limping along with almost no original members, and spending most of their working time doing summer amphitheater tours, usually including one or two other dad rock bands? And let’s face it, bands that fit this description rarely release new music, and when they do, the sales and streaming figures are pretty underwhelming. And now, we have a new album from Kansas (or at least the rhythm guitarist and drummer of Kansas…I have no idea who the other guys are). So what do we get from The Absence of Presence? Well, it seems that Kansas has made a Kansas album. There’s really not a whole lot more I can say about it. It’s a straightforward 70s-style prog record, in the style of Leftoverture or Point of Know Return. And while I will admit I enjoyed this album more than I would’ve enjoyed a callback to the band’s 80s stadium rock era, it doesn’t come anywhere near measuring up to their classic records. Don’t get me wrong, it ticks all the boxes. Complex guitar interplay, multi-movement songs, effects-heavy keyboards, and plenty of violin work. But at no point do they go above and beyond that bare minimum and make anything outstanding or overly memorable. But then again, did we expect them to? These guys are over the hump, and they know it. They also knew that this album would pretty much exclusively be listened to by their most loyal fans, and it’s pretty clear that they’re the ones this album is made for. So hey, if you’re a lifelong Kansas fan who loves the majority of their discography, you’ll probably dig The Absence of Presence. Everybody else can skip it.
Score: 2.5/5
The Pretenders – Hate for Sale
Up next, we’re throwing it back to one of punk rock’s biggest household names. So what do The Pretenders have to offer in 2020? Well, like with Kansas, this is a Pretenders record, through and through. That being said, I actually kind of love this album. The difference is that while this is a fairly standard Pretenders album, it offers up not only the style and sound of the band’s classic work, but also the raw punk energy and irresistible songwriting. This certainly isn’t on the same level as the band’s self-titled masterpiece, but it is honestly in the ballpark of some of their other classic records. In a compact 30-minute package, Hate for Sale offers a highly enjoyable mix of the band’s classic punk attack, and softer moments that feel very genuine and personal to Chrissie Hynde. I can’t say I really knew what to expect from this album, but what we get is The Pretenders doing what they do best, and I certainly can’t complain.
Score: 4/5
Alanis Morissette – Such Pretty Forks in the Road
Sure, it’s been over two decades since Alanis Morissette released a truly great album, but hey, if there was ever a time for the blunt, bitter, and honest introspection that Morissette brings to the table as a songwriter, it’s 2020. I must say, the first several tracks of Such Pretty Forks in the Road got me pretty excited. These songs were all as beautifully flawed and emotively performed as one could ever expect from Morissette, and her sense of melody is every bit as impactful as it has ever been. Unfortunately, this very strong beginning is the high point of the album. That’s not to say there aren’t any other good songs here, but Morissette ultimately fails to keep the initial momentum running for the duration of the listening experience. This is only amplified by the fact that the majority of these songs are piano ballads. They may be solid piano ballads, but let’s face it, putting too many slow songs back to back on an album is attention span poison. Every time I spun this album, I found myself having to try very hard not to zone out and lose interest in spots. On top of the more chill, ballad-centric nature of this album, we also hear very clean, pop-centric production, which works well overall for the style of music that Morrissette presents, but the vocal filtering can be something of a hinderance to the raspy, broken, emotional delivery that made Morrissette famous, and made Jagged Little Pill an alt-rock staple. But you know what? On top of all these complaints, the best moments on this album are absolutely beautiful. Alanis Morrissette’s introspective and highly vulnerable writing style has always been completely irresistible to anybody who dares to really listen and be sucked into her world, and that’s as true on this album as it has ever been. Only this time, she approaches her writing with a serenity and maturity that displays much growth from who she was in the 90s. Such Pretty Forks in the Road is far from the timeless classic that was Jagged Little Pill, but a few personal preference-based complaints aside, this is a very welcome addition to the discography of one of rock’s most accomplished women.
Score: 3.5/5
Phil Klinker Music Reviews 