'Been a Long Time Comin' by Listening Party
Pared from a longtime trio to a duo, Listening Party—a Milwaukee-based Americana/alt-folk outfit that’s drawn comparisons to The Avett Brothers—return with a fresh perspective and tunes that sound ready-made for stages all over the Midwest. Been a Long Time Comin’ lives up to its title, as this is Listening Party’s first studio album since 2018’s Less Is More. Weston Mueller’s rich and stirring lead vocals seep in deep on such cuts as the oddly optimistic opener “It Ain’t So Bad,” the cheeky “3 Eggs (Wisconsin Weather)” with its references to Outagamie County and “the good ol’ Piggly Wiggly,” and the emotional leadoff single, “Same Ol’ Problems” — which the band says reflects the “hope of recovery balanced against the despair of relapse.” Mueller and fellow multi-instrumentalist Jacob Wood (along with session bassist Mark Yencheske) recorded the 11-song collection at Axis Recording Studios in Hartland, a converted 19th-century hilltop chapel that proved to be the perfect setting for this kind of personal and engaging music.
Listening Party will celebrate the release of Been A Long Time Comin’ on Aug. 25 at Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co.; the duo has several other performances booked around the state through at least mid-October.
