Artist: Jukebox The Ghost
Release: Safe Travels
Discogs: 4011899
Released: 2012
Label: Yep Roc Records
Catalog#: CD YEP-2279
Format: FLAC / Lossless / Log (100%) / Cue / CD
Country: US
Style: Rock, Indie Rock

Tracklisting:

01. Somebody
02. Oh, Emily
03. At Last
04. Say When
05. Don't Let Me Fall Behind
06. Dead
07. Adulthood
08. Ghosts In Empty Houses
09. Devils On Our Side
10. All For Love
11. Man In The Moon
12. Everybody Knows
13. The Spiritual

Don’t Knock the Jukebox
By Matt Jones

I love when an album’s music matches the cover art.

This week, Brooklyn-based three piece Jukebox the Ghost has delivered a fine example of such with their third album, Safe Travels. Much like the album art, which takes some brilliant and bold (if conventional) colors and does something beautiful and delightful with them, Jukebox has crafted an album out of straightforward, conventional elements and yet somehow managed to make it sound new and inspiring in the process.

Jukebox the Ghost sound especially like a Ben Folds vs. Eric Hutchinson vs. The Head and the Heart mashup at times, and at others, you’d swear you were listening to Ben Gibbard singing for Scissor Sisters. The Head and the Heart comparisons are striking mostly because of the plunky piano featured on most songs, although the dynamics are typically more aggressive and give this album a vibe that leans much farther towards pop than folk. And as for the vocals – well, Ben Thornewill’s voice is Gibbard-esque enough to begin with, but when he inflects a certain direction or when the harmonies come in, it’s positively Death Cab. Every now and then a Foxy Shazam-like guitar riff will pop up and surprise you, but it’s a decent fit with the overall mix and certainly doesn’t detract from the catchy hooks and upbeat aesthetic.

 
http://dickthespic.org/