Album Reviews

Over three decades since first emerging from Chicago’s northwest suburbs, Smoking Popes continue to walk the line between punk grit and classic pop goodness on their first new studio album in six years, ‘Lovely Stuff’.

Crafted gradually over two years, the album was recorded in Illinois by the band themselves. Despite being pieced together over time, it holds together remarkably well. Well, maybe not that remarkable. After all, Smoking Popes’ have been touting their distinctive sound since day one. And that’s no different on ‘Lovely Stuff’. Josh Caterer’s velvety, melancholy-drenched croon sounds as gorgeous as ever, the guitars are crunchy and the rhythm section keeps things nimble and tight. 

Picking favorites is pretty much impossible. Opener ‘Golden Moment’ immediately sets the tone with  lush  guitars and Caterer proclaiming that “life can be beautiful when you are in love with life itself”. Talk about a great start. And from there the hits just keep on coming. ‘Racine’ keeps the energy up with clever dynamics and a chorus that sticks, ‘Never Gonna Break’ is one of the best songs the band has ever written with a downright beautiful guitar lead and a killer chorus, ‘Madison’ is a brisk, hook-laden track. Then there’s 'Fox River Dream'—a standout midtempo cut that gives Caterer room to reflect and late album highlight 'Young And Dumb'. And the band’s hushed, heartfelt take on “Over the Rainbow” not only continues the Judy Garland connection that started on ‘Into The Agony,’ but also brings the album to a gentle close.

With ‘Lovely Stuff’, the Popes have delivered a pretty much flawless album that I haven’t stopped listening to since I got my hands on it. Well worth the six year wait!

Lovely Stuff tracklist:

1. Golden Moment
2. Fox River Dream
3. Racine
4. Never Gonna Break
5. To This Very Day
6. Madison
7. Young and Dumb
8. When The Sun Goes Down
9. You Will Always Have My Heart
10. Over The Rainbow