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It’s been nearly three years since the release of The Bye Bye Blackbirds’ previous album, Take Out the Poison<\/i> (see below for a link to my review of that record). The reasons for that extended quiet period have much to do with the tone of the new record. Guitarist Lenny Gill experienced serious health problems, necessitating a heart transplant and an extended recovery period. Happily, he did recover \u2013 and regain his ability to play his instrument \u2013 and what awaited him upon recovery was a nearly-finished record that only needed his input.<\/p>\n
Though Boxer at Rest<\/i> was completed some months ago, at the time of this writing \u2013 mid-March, 2020 as quarantines have begun across the United States \u2013 the album’s themes have become even more timely. Tragedy, uncertainty, conflict and loss have long provided fodder for creative expression. But with some notable exceptions \u2013 Badfinger first and foremost among them \u2013 artists working within the powerpop idiom have rarely taken advantage of those sources of inspiration, preferring instead to focus upon sunnier \u2013 or shallower \u2013 themes.<\/p>\n
The Bye Bye Blackbirds have always been special; listeners could cont on the group to color outside the lines, to resist being pigeonholed into someone else’s idea of what is and is not acceptable. And on Boxer at Rest, the group continues its mission. The disc’s opening track, \u201cYou Were All Light\u201d deals in regret and optimism, and as it heads to its conclusion, the tune makes excellent use of a horn section. Said instrumental break is comparatively brief, but in its few seconds it puts the lie to the idea that horns are out of place in a rock ‘n’ roll tune (see also: Badfinger’s Wish You Were Here<\/i><\/a> LP).<\/p>\n The technique of back-loading songs with their most memorable hooks is a curious one, but it serves to reward those who stick around. \u201cHow Do We Stay\u201d is splendid enough a song as it goes, but the catchy repeating guitar melody that concludes the tune may be what sticks in listeners’ minds the longest.<\/p>\n \u201cSo True\u201d serves up some rich vocal harmonies, courtesy of songwriter and lead vocalist Bradley Skaught, ably joined by Kelly Atkins. The uncluttered, straightforward production vibe strikes a perfect balance: no frills but just the right amount of professional polish.<\/p>\n \u201cBaby It’s Still You\u201d showcases a kind of country-flavored rock feel that reminds this listener a bit of Moby Grape. Some subtle chord shading adds a layer of sophistication, and \u2013yet again \u2013 some tasty and deftly-placed breaks from the three-man horn auxiliary add that special something. The guitar solo is as clean and memorable as it is brief; Skaught and his band mates \u2013 Gill, Atkins, Aaron Rubin, Joe Becker and KC Bowman \u2013 understand the pop value of \u201cleave them wanting more.\u201d But they also make sure to deliver the goods.<\/p>\n Skaught takes a solo turn on the melancholy, achingly beautiful \u201cWords & Signs.\u201d The arrangement features only his voice and acoustic guitar, and it has a feel very much like Big Star’s \u201cWatch the Sunrise.\u201d<\/p>\n The breathtaking vocal harmonies of the LP’s second-side opener \u201cWatch Them Chime\u201d are a thing of beauty. And the tune speaks of optimism in the face of some unspoken difficulty. It’s difficult at this moment to think far ahead into the future, but \u201cWatch Them Chime\u201d could serve as an anthem for the post COVID-19 era that \u2013 we must believe \u2013 lies somewhere ahead.<\/p>\n The bouncy character of \u201cWar is Still Hell\u201d stands in sharp contrast to its subject matter. But the tune’s lyrics are about healing and regaining of wholeness, balancing the sentiment expressed in another line of the song: \u201cWe can’t fall much farther \/ can we, baby?\u201d<\/p>\n That same sense of indefatigable optimism shines through \u201cIf it Gets Light.\u201d The insistent, uncharacteristically lengthy rocker succeeds musically, especially with its extended instrumental breaks. But its strongest element lies in its final words: \u201cHey if it gets light, then it gets light \/ Let’s see how the day comes.\u201d It’s an acknowledgment that sometimes we have to take what comes and make the best of it. The manner in which the band lets loose suggests release, and celebration of that release.<\/p>\n