Butch Walker – “Synthesizers”

Pairs Well With…Ben Kweller, Weezer, Ryan Adams

Prolific singer-songwriter Butch Walker has been working his solo act for over a decade (he fronted Marvelous 3 previously) and the experience shows on the tight power pop gems found on his latest record, The Spade.  These tracks are loaded with lyrical hooks, both serious and tongue-in-cheek.  The choruses shine with fist-pumping/swaying action, but Walker is smart to keep a sense of looseness around the recordings to let his band The Black Widows lay back into cool grooves.  That aside, I imagine Walker will be featuring new material for 2013 as he has yet to take more than a two-year break between records.  Even though his material can be a little too poppy for my general tastes, it is totally worth a set to see what this admired singer-songwriter has up his sleeve for this year.  That and a kick ass rock and roll show.