After a three-year derailment, California quintet Train is back on track - in more ways than pun.
With their fifth full-length album, Save Me, San Francisco, Train returns to the scene they left with a steam-fueled bang.
The adult alternative songsters rock relatively hard throughout the album and prove that they can still pump out the hits as well as any soccer mom crooning quintet on the scene.
The choruses found in SMSF are quite catchy, which is overly apparent in the lead single 'Hey, Soul Sister.' After hearing vocalist Pat Monahan croon out, 'Hey soul sister/ ain't that Mister Mister on the radio,' you're bound to be in a better mood, fueled by flashbacks and retro-themed fun.
Train also shows that they haven't lost their touch in putting out classic compositions, with the track 'Brick by Brick' as a prime example. It's a beautiful song driven by Monahan's powerful voice, which is accompanied by melodic strings and creates that epic build-up with which great songs usually pack their punch.
'Parachute' is another magnificent track with a verse that builds up into an exploding chorus that will make you want to pump your fist as you chant along with the Train conductor.
'I'll open up and be your parachute/ and I'll never let you down/ so open up and be my human angel/ and we'll only hit the ground running,' Monahan sings.
Tracks like 'Marry Me' and 'Breakfast In Bed' end the album on a softer note, slowing things down a bit and offering up a different side of Train.
Martin Terefe, the producer for Jason Mraz's latest album, also worked on Save Me, San Francisco. This probably explains why 'Hey, Soul Sister' has a similar vibe to Mraz's hit 'I'm Yours.'
SMSF rocks through mellow melodies, like Train's previous work. Any Train fan should be more than satisfied. And though it might not be as good as Drops of Jupiter, it definitely gives it a run for its money.
The album is good enough to blast out loud and sing along to, but at the same time, is smooth enough to turn down low and casually listen to as background music.
And that's a rare quality nowadays.
E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
