By: Ruby H. Warren
Star Rating: 4.5/5
For fans of indie-pop, most have heard of the band, Bleachers. The band’s front man, Jack Antonoff, is a well-known producer and songwriter, in addition to acting as the guitarist for the one-hit-wonder band, Fun. Antonoff has gone on to win a handful of Grammys with the band Fun, as well as a few for his work as a producer and songwriter, most notably for Taylor Swift and Lorde. His work for other artists, up until this album, has always been stronger than the music he released on his own (both as a work of art and commercially). Be it he was chasing singles or not writing for his trademark sound, the last two records that Bleachers has released fell incredibly short of spectacular. That was until the release of Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night and the stars all finally seemed to align.
Antonoff’s modern take on 80’s synth-pop I feel has always been hit or miss, feeling a bit more hippie-rock than anything else, but this album’s variety of sound in melody and lyric deserves recognition (not to mention the feature of Bruce Springsteen). Antonoff didn’t just stick to his classic sound, but he (finally) took a risk on his talent. Starting off with a strings-heavy song, this record gives listeners a much fuller and in-depth sound. There’s a level of both passion and pain in the opening track that perfectly sets up the rest of the album.
The standouts on this record, aside from the opener, are most definitely “Chinatown” (track 2: featuring Bruce Springsteen), “45” (track 8), and “Strange Behavior” (track 9). These songs show not only the instrumental risks that Antonoff chose to take, but they are also beautifully written and feel like a fantasy. These are songs that can transport you into an entirely different world for a few minutes as they play; they are just that beautifully crafted. But then again, if you’re backed by The Boss, you have got to be doing at least a little something right.
If you liked this album, try:
- Speaking in Tongues by Talking Heads (1983)
- High Violet by The National (2010)
- Saintmotelevision by Saint Motel (2016)