The eponymous fourth long-player from the effusive indie pop trio,
Jukebox the Ghost dials back some of the more serious undertones that percolated throughout 2012's
Safe Travels, offering up a tight, 11-song set (it was apparently pared down from 50) that doubles down on the
Fun. button and boasts at least a few potential breakout tracks. Front-loaded with enough hooks to land an Orca, the album wastes little time in getting to the good stuff, churning out a five-track assault of sugary, feel-good millennial pop confections that sound like
Ben Folds devoid of all cynicism. Opener "Sound of a Broken Heart," despite its sad sack moniker, is as dancefloor-ready as it is bursting at the seams with pop acumen, laying forth a dizzying array of electro-kissed staccato beats and enough wordless group vocals to give
Bastille's "Pompeii" a run for its money, and "The Great Unknown," with its inspirational refrain of "Let go of the world you know/there's something waiting for you in the great unknown" seems the best bet for future movie trailer/reality television show montage domination, as its quasi-spiritual fervor is bested only by its infectious melody, but it's the less fussy "Long Way Home," which features both songwriters (
Ben Thornewill and
Tommy Siegel) emoting their hearts out over an earworm of a chorus that resonates the most. Like all of their songs, it's a veritable essay on pop craftsmanship, but it's also a little goofy, a little wistful, a tad too earnest, and most importantly, totally unconcerned with being cool. ~ James Christopher Monger