At the end of The Nude Party’s fourth album, our hero finds himself doing a two-year stint in prison after getting busted at the border with a trunk full of Acapulco Gold. But in “Jaurez,” the Tex-Mex travelogue that ends “Look Who’s Back,” the narrator has no regrets or even disappointment, maintaining the same attitude he brought to an adventure where he drank beer from a tin cup and champagne from a glass. “Wherever you’re going is where I wanna be,” he sings.
The quirky, laidback worldview permeates the nine new songs from the New York-via-North Carolina group, whether it’s leaning into Flying Burrito Brothers California country or Velvet Underground garage — they are all over the map, but they always sound at home.
The seven-piece opens with the title track, lead singer Patton Magee’s deadpan Lou Reed-inspired delivery backed by breezy guitars and backing vocals. “Not That Bad” shifts gears a bit, with pedal steel buzzing around Magee, who is now singing in a more emotive style: “Lost another friend today/ It’s still too weird to say it out loud/ Should I allow myself to cry? Or say those sweet goodbyes? There’s so much to do today.” The lead guitar that sets up the verses takes an extended wander before the final couplet.
“Cocaine and black coffee” are on the menu for “Sweetheart of the Radio,” another road trip whose title pays tribute to the classic by The Byrds. With help from guests Pearl Charles and Lady Apple Tree, Magee and company are scanning the car radio dial to find his sweetheart. Like in “Not That Bad,” you can hear shoots of a jam band poking through the soil, but brevity is in order and the explorations are disciplined, short and effective.
“Carolyn” and “Walk That Walk” slither way from the dusty country roads in favor of a garage/glam amalgam. “Love Is Electric” continues in that vein, with a peppy, syncopated beat, with some “Be My Baby”-esque castanets spicing up the romance.
Rating: 72/81
The Nude Party performs at TV Eye (16-47 Weirfield St, Ridgewood, Queens) on Friday, April 24 and Saturday, April 25
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