Lake Street Dive’s newest album, Good Together, keeps up the group’s knack for eclectic sounds while focusing more on 80s-inspired electro-pop. The opening pairing of the title track and “Dance With A Stranger” uses synths and light percussion to deliver two fairly bland soul/pop numbers that never punch up the energy. Much better is “Far Gone,” which starts with whistling but moves into an upbeat party number with sultry vocals, fast drumming, and electro keys.
The angular funk of “Get Around” uses guitar and digital bleeps and blasts before a banging finale, while “Help Is On The Way” is the most jazz-leaning effort here, with standup bass, an easy rolling groove, and a trumpet solo. “Walking Uphill” successfully incorporates modern gospel touches as the song builds with percussion to a rousing climax.
The band then dips back into mid 80’s electro pop on “Better Not Tell You” and “Seats at the Bar”, adding horns from Jon Lampley – trumpet, flugelhorn Dan White – saxophones Chris Ott – trombone and warbling guitar lines respectively. The digitally enhanced “Party on the Roof” feels like a Lionel Ritchie-inspired tune while the stripped-down piano ballad “Set Sail” and the overly dramatic Broadway closer “Set Sail (Prometheus & Eros)” are both interesting, yet feel out of place on an album more focused on light pop.
Like Jon Batiste’s recent effort World Music Radio, by trying to reach out to the masses, the spark that makes Lake Street Dive engagingly hard to classify has evolved into its bold shot at populist appeal.
3 Responses
While I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all their prior efforts, only Obviously seemed to hit perfectly on all cylinders. This one does indeed feel like a shot at a wider appeal and suffers for it in overall blandness. Songwriting in general is less hooky and lyrics less clever and, while we all know Rachael is the star, her vocals are so prominent in the mix that any musicianship seems muted and this feels a lot less than prior spectacular group achievements. A huge step backward for this fan.
I find it funny that as a band evolves that people give them shit – like the pervious comment – for not being how they used to be or that they sold out ….REM got the same BS. Also WTF is the interesting but out of place take on the article? Interesting is another way of saying nothing – and out of place? Ok I suppose different from the rest – but again doesn’t tell us much. I am not saying that you are “wrong “ because that would imply there is a “right” but you black holed it man – we have no value on those “observations” It would have been better or no worse than if you didn’t say anything at all about those tracks.
I think overall this is easily their best album and I saw them in dives in 2012 and 2013.