Fresh off the release of their fourth full-length album, piano-pop outfit Jukebox the Ghost will return to The Southern next month, playing a show centered around the upbeat, self-titled project vocalist and guitarist Tommy Siegel calls a “re-examination” of the group’s traditional and creative processes.
About half of the album is intensely positive and bubbly. Even if the song’s lyrics tell a story of love lost, the track will inevitably bring listeners joy and slight confusion — evidenced from the start in the opening track, ironically titled “Sound of a Broken Heart.” Listeners cannot help but wonder: am I happy? Am I sad? What does this band want from me?
This juxtaposition, far from interesting or uplifting, is just out of place.
Thankfully, the album’s remaining tracks are grounded more in the style of pop-rock and EDM. “When the Nights Get Long,” an appropriately-paced indie-pop track, dabbles in the sort of inspirational subject matter expected to accompany such carefree sound — a promise of support and love despite any hardship.
Siegel calls this super upbeat, synthetic sound “the most adventurous, risky thing we could do.”
Working with producer Dan Romer, whose other credits include albums from He Is We, A Great Big World and Ingrid Michaelson, Siegel said the band started with lyrics and created tunes which matched them.
“He was really encouraging us to take more risks than we usually do," Siegel said. "[This meant] not putting any boundaries on what instrumentation we could use.”
Toward the album’s final tracks, a more cohesive sound arises, creating a more appealing listening experience. Fluffy video-game electronica still serves as the majority of the instrumentation, but this execution is vastly more tasteful when paired with deeper, more diversified beats and the addition of the group’s signature piano.
“Hollywood” perfectly captures the twisted vintage style of Jukebox the Ghost’s early albums, while mixing with more matured pop influences than did previous album, “Safe Travels.”
Lyrically, the album exudes honesty and passion. “Postcard” opens sweetly with, “I don’t want you to feel broken; I just want you to feel good,” before launching into the new-wave pop progressions which make the track an album standout.
Siegel said the album’s lyrics “come from real life, come from a real place … [and] from other perspectives,” acknowledging they bring a certain earnestness to the record.
Packing a massive, hopeful punch, “The Great Unknown,” a single released in anticipation of the self-titled LP, brings together all the elements which comprise the album into a cohesive whole, righting the wrongs of its botched numbers.
All in all, while Jukebox the Ghost’s latest effort contains wildly successful pieces such as “The Great Unknown,” it also presents inconceivably mixed-up tunes, like identity-confused “Girl.” Despite struggles, the self-titled light, fun record deserves a listen — if a quick one.
Standouts: “The Great Unknown,” “Undeniable You,” “Hollywood”
3 Stars
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