I've fallen behind again. Last trip of the summer where I plan to be unavailable on a weekday though! Probably only have time for one listen this time. Update: scratch that. this is a barrel of monkeys I'm definitely giving a second listen. Listening notes: -Infected is such a strong start for this album! Poppy vibes with a sort of off-kilter vocal arrangement. On a second listen, I appreciate starting such a varied album with something that feels conventional and yet hints at the genre-exploration ahead. -Out of the Blue--Didn't listen close on the first time. I don't think I'm crazy about this. -Heartland--I'm just loving this jazzy, minor-key(?) vibe. Don't really have a response to this being the 51st state of the USA, but it made me chuckle a little. Until I realized that part of being the USA is cutting the welfare state :( -Angels of Deception. What a fun ending! -Slow Train to Dawn--Any song with -The climbing up and down "piano" scales (I don't have a vocabulary for music criticism) around a minute in just totally captured it for me. -The Mercy beat has a really nice driving beat, but it was kind of annoying. My only miss for the album. Review: I'm feeling generous and I think I'm going to overlook being a little bored on The Mercy Beat and finding Out of the Blue a little bit of a dud. Everything feels fresh and fun. The set of keys is really neat. There's a sort of mysterious tone that I'm loving. The sort of dangerous alluring tone to the music is a lot of fun. Musically compelling AND made me want to dance. Crushin' it. 4.5 stars: Harmonica, Brass, and Organ give them the round up. If more artists incorporate saxes like this and organs like that, and strings and what not. Just such an expansive vision.