New Music Friday - 3/11/22

Sure it’s Saturday and it’s snowing - but to me, it’s still New Music Friday and there’s great new music in the air. Here’s what I’m digging this week:

Singles of the Week:

“Wild Child” by The Black Keys

Funky and fresh new music from The Black Keys is worth celebrating. The song combines the best of what the band has always done, fuzzy, funky, blues music with the more subtle 70s singer-songwriter sound from the last Dan Auerbach solo album (Waiting on a Song). It’s tight and quick and toe-tappingly good. Approaching the release of their 11th full length album, the band show that they still work so well together. Sounding as good as they did on albums like Brothers and El Camino. To steal from Spinal Tap, this one definitely should be turned up to 11.

“Goodbye, Mr. Blue” by Father John Misty

A lush, beautiful track off of his upcoming album, Misty spins his lyrics like always above a country-style balad sound. I’m reminded of the great Harry Nilsson listening to the new track. A song that wanders around and is what we come to expect from Father John - a sad yet gorgeous and tender song.

Album of the Week:

The Joy of Music by Ben Rector

There are those artists that you connect with at different times of your life. The songs change as they do and as you do. Ben Rector is one of those artists for me. I’ve alway liked his accessibility in his songs and the beauty and humor he inserts into his songs.

For his new one, The Joy of Music, Rector puts out positivity-infused songs that push past his comfort zone. There’s a bit of a new-wave sound on some of the new tracks. Check out “Supernatural” with guest saxophone player Dave Koz. Speaking of guests, don’t skip past the ridiculously catchy “Sunday” where Rector and Snoop Dog trade lyrics like a couple of friends hanging out by the grill.

My personal connection is around being a parent - Rector isn’t afraid to weave in lyrics about being a dad and what so many of us see as the mundane parts of life. He brings a certain energy, joy and beauty to it all (like singing “head, shoulders, knees and toes”).

He saves the best for the quieter moments. “Steady Love” focuses on different phases of our lives. "When you're young, you're the center of the universe, you're larger than life. But the older you get, the hope is your ego gets smaller, you take up a little less space in your world and people and things you love take up more." The other stand out is “Cliches” featuring Dawes singer Taylor Goldsmith, a beautiful acoustic duet that reflects on the familiar theme of growing up and being in love.

Rector is on tour to support the release and I was lucky enough to see him a few years ago - There’s a wonderful feeling when you see an artist you’ve admired for a while and they live up to the hoped hype. He clearly enjoys what he does and I’d imagine the new songs will connect with the live audience once again.