I love a great pop song. New York-based Jukebox the Ghost, over the course of four albums, has proven to be exceptional at writing them. The band’s piano-based sugar highs are goosebump-inducing, feel-good perfection, which is made abundantly clear on their most recent, self-titled album. Hooks for days.
The trio made its way to Indianapolis once again, setting up shop in Deluxe for a few hundred dedicated fans. For 90 minutes, the room was full of bouncing, smiling people, anxious to hear the next giddy nugget. JtG were tremendous. Opening with Postcard from their latest, they never let up. The harmonies were gorgeous, the musicianship was tight, and the joy in the room was pervasive.
The band focused, as expected, on the new one, but still found plenty of room to mix in a few highlights from previous albums. For my money, The Stars and Schizophrenia, two tracks from Everything Under the Sun, were the back catalog highlights. Both had an irresistible, propulsive energy. All the new songs sounded great, too, though Ben Thornewell’s solo turn on main set closer, Undeniable You, was particularly effective.
As for the openers, Secret Someones shows promise. Thursday night was my first exposure to the band. Twin Forks, the newest group from Dashboard Confessional’s Chris Carraba, just isn’t my thing. Frankly, I wasn’t a fan of his earlier band; Twin Forks marries some of DC’s confessional tone with a sound reminiscent of the Lumineers. Twin Forks exhibits a lot more joy performing than that terrible band, but the songs didn’t connect with me. That said, Twin Forks had a number of fans on hand, so I’ll once again say his brand of rock just isn’t my thing.
But Jukebox the Ghost — oh my, they were outstanding. Pop music the way it should be — clever, hooky, and joyful. Can’t wait to see them again.