×
At the heart ofhugely underrated singer-songwriter Chuck Prophet’s sound there’s always been akind of tug-of-war among disparate eras. In turns Petty-esque, Springsteen-likeand generally rife with Stones swagger, there’s also an undeniably coy, modernindie slant. Sure there’s “Born to Run”-style driving guitars, and even some“shoobie-doo-wop” backing vocals, but, hey, LeBron James gets name-checked too.In fact, Prophet’s latest sounds a bit like Franz Ferdinand after an all-nightbout of Studs Terkel: old-timey, good times rock, but with a conscience.
Prophet empathizeswith the downtrodden (“What Can a Mother Do”), apologetically pokes fun at hisroots (“American Man”) and seems generally earnest in hopes of a renewal in theAmericana from whence he borrows so much of his sound. From jangly countryrockers to straight KLH-style distortion, what mostly comes out is afrom-the-hip, nostalgic take on the American ennui that was 2009.
The songwritingpeaks may be clearest on the introspective tracks“Leave the Window Open,” orthe lovely “Love Won’t Keep Us Apart”but as a whole the album feels likesomething more. It’s a sensible, rollicking, perhaps important look at the hardtimes of the moment.
