As I’m getting back into the swing of the things after a couple weeks off, I decided to peruse through last week’s new releases. Jukebox The Ghost’s self-titled release stuck out to me, for whatever reason, and so I gave it an initial spin. Very quickly into the canned drums of “Sound Of A Broken Heart”, I realized what I was getting myself into from a band called “Jukebox The Ghost”. This was going to be catchy, teetering-on-overproduced pop, with just enough pretentiousness to give it some indie cred (I’m an optimist, right?).

Luckily, to my dismay, Jukebox The Ghost is catchy, and very well produced, pop music, with no pretentiousness. This album is a flurry of synths, “woah”s, and earworm hooks. I was quick to give the album a second spin around. Upbeat tunes like “Made For Ending” combine the wit of Ben Gibbard-esque songwriting with Owl City-like production. It’s almost like Ben Folds, without the bro-factor of it (Ironically, the group toured with Folds in 2009.)

This album is the band’s fourth release, and that development shows on tracks like “The Great Unknown”. With the energy of a brand new band, but the maturity of a group that has pushed on for several years, Jukebox The Ghost might have their most successful album yet on their hands. This may be my Monday morning album of choice for a while. Check it out below: