The wonderfully weird, hipstery Train is back with their tenth studio album a girl, a bottle, a boat, which dropped last Friday, Jan. 27.
This is their first album without their lead guitarist and founding member Jimmy Stafford. Definitely not my favorite Train album, but thoroughly enjoyed nonetheless.
a girl, a bottle, a boat opens with my favorite song on the album, “Drink Up.” This number is a fun, feel-good song and perfect for any party-loving college student. With lyrics like, “Take this moment and put it in a glass / If you want a sip I got memories on tap / Drink up drink up,” Pat Monahan reminds us to live in the moment and take in the people around us.
Up next is “Play That Song” which I also absolutely adore. This song actually uses the 1938 song “Heart and Soul” as its backbone. Most music and film fans will probably recognize it from its memorable performance in the Tom Hanks film, “Big.” Now a new generation will enjoy the catchy melody in this Train tune which was originally released as a single on Sept. 29, 2016.
“Play That Song” is a sweet love song that has a way of making its listener smile and it never fails to get me spinning around in my dorm room.
“The News” kind of reminds me of “Here” by Alessia Cara with its somber tone and pronounced background music. Also very catchy and begs to be danced to.
“Lottery” is a more upbeat love song in which the muse is compared to lottery winnings. Monahan praises a girl, singing,“every time you’re here with me / It’s like I won the lottery.” “Working Girl” was actually released on Dec. 1, 2016 before the rest of the album. I found this number a little corny, but I appreciate the message supporting female empowerment, especially in the current political atmosphere.
Up next is another one my favorite tracks, “Silver Dollar.” Very catchy, very fun and Monahan shows off his vocal range in the chorus; definitely a song to listen to if you want to throw on sunglasses and feel cool while taking a casual stroll around campus.
At first I really didn’t like “Valentine,” I’m not a fan of the deep-voiced “bum bum bum” going on in the background of every verse. That being said, this song grew on me because I really like the chorus and the long notes that Monahan holds. If you like old-fashioned, upbeat love songs, this is a tune for you.
“What Good is Saturday” is also one of my favorites on the album. It is reminiscent of the catchy Bruno Mars tune “Marry You” and asks its muse, “Without you / What good is Saturday?”
Priscilla Renea kind of annoys me in “Loverman,” but otherwise Monahan sounds great on this track with a noticeable lack of instrumentals while he sings. The tone of his voice is really shown off in this tune and the chorus is very catchy.
I had trouble getting past the trumpets in “Lost and Found,” but I do like this song when the beat finally drops 40 seconds in. The chorus is also great and reminds the listener that people come and go but we should still be grateful for the roles they play in our lives.
The album closes with “You Better Believe.” This is the slowest track on the album with piano being the major instrumental backbone of the piece. It’s a touching ballad in which a parent reassures their child that they will always be okay and the parent will always be there to guide and teach them.
a girl, a bottle, a boat is a quick listen, lasting only a total of 37 minutes. I don’t love this album as much as I love classic Train and their 2014 album “Bulletproof Picasso.” There are some tracks that really fall flat for me in terms of what I know Train can do, but there are also some tracks that I really enjoy, and I appreciate the overall message of most of the tracks.