‘Drops of Jupiter’ band to release ‘California 37’
We’ve met Virginia, taken a trip through the starlit Milky Way and followed the sweet-moving romance of the ever-cool soul sister.
There have been the emotionally wrenching ballads of loss like “When I Look to the Sky” and a short-lived solo career, which brought us the Gemini-Capricorn with the single-worthy eyes (“Her Eyes” by Pat Monahan).
Train first kicked off its career in 1998 with its self-titled album, featuring “Meet Virginia.” Since then, Train has released four more albums, and is on the brink of its fifth with April 17’s release of “California 37.”
There’s a certain genre that’s been born from the collide of pop, soft rock and the lyrically charged singer/songwriter turned mainstream frontman. It’s infectious and has easily fallen into a coveted spot at the top of charts.
It bridges the gap between guilt-worthy catchy pop and rooted talent, but in the same chord straddles the line of sellout and simply moving with the times.
Train has, up until now, stuck to the natural career progression. Yes, “Hey, Soul Sister” was ukulele-happy and sung dangerously close to bubble gum pop — a seemingly helpless grapple back to recognition. But, the whole of 2009’s “Save Me, San Francisco” — “Soul Sister’s” home album — preserved the band’s more mature rock roots.
“California 37” is projecting the same strategy, from a reeling radio-worthy grabber to a more subdued, rooted sound.
The album’s first single, “Drive By,” has already taken over the Top 40 station airwaves, with a heavy beat and perpetual clap that carries some seriously cheesy lyrics. From, “When you move everything is groovy,” to, “Just a shy guy looking for a two-ply Hefty bag to hold my love,” each word jabs a little harder at fans of the original acoustic jam band that was Train.
But, it is catchy. And it has grabbed attention, just as “Hey, Soul Sister” did in 2009.
In a studio session on Train’s YouTube channel, lead singer and songwriter Monahan said, “I think that the kind of band we are now is different than when we started out. We were an acoustic band that was driven by the acoustic guitar, singer/songwriter thing.”
But, in their upcoming work, they’ve found their niche.
“We went through a phase where we wanted to be other things — we wanted to be on the radio, we wanted to be ‘European-ish.’ And I think we’re finally what we’re supposed to be, which is pretty simple guys,” Monahan said in the same video.
The studio session gives a little behind-the-scenes look at “This’ll Be My Year,” “California 37’s” opening track. Monahan is singing off his laptop screen, building a song from references often out of this generation’s reach — Ronald Reagan, Pan Am Flight 103 and Journey. And it’s refreshing.
The 43-year-old is adding a little history to the likable tune, staying away from tongue-in-cheek love lyrics that just don’t fit into the tale of his longtime marriage.
There’s still a lot to hear, but the third taste of the upcoming record is “Feels Good at First,” the prereleased song with album preorder. And it’s nothing short of wonderful. A chorus harmony feeds into the springtime lyrics that stick to the acoustic strum.
The first three showings from “California 37” build the same structure as “Save Me, San Francisco,” and will hopefully carry the same understated success. Train’s a long way from “Meet Virginia” and “Calling All Angels,” but it’s a step toward a continuing rejuvenated sound.