MUSIC
‘JUMP FOR JOY’ Hiss Golden Messenger returns to Colorado with a jubilant new album BY ALAN SCULLEY
S
es with an easygoing pulse that inger-songwriter M.C. Taylor segues into the frisky “Feeling didn’t set out to make a “panEternal,” whose chugging tempo demic record” when he went propels the song into one of the into the studio to record his 2021 LP, album’s catchiest refrains. Quietly Blowing It. But looking back on The jubilant mood carries through his twelfth album under the moniker the rest of Jump for Joy. The poppy Hiss Golden Messenger, he hears an “I Saw the New Day in the World” undeniable product of the times. feels like a long sigh of content“I tried to be really clear with everyment, while “Nu-Grape” injects a body that that’s not what I was doing,” dose of spirited gospel and the title Taylor says. “I was making something track carries it through with a bit of that I was hoping would feel sort of New Orleans reverie. There’s a timeless or out of time. I think what I reflective feel to “Jesus is Bored” realized was I can say that all I want, North Carolina-based Americana outfit Hiss Golden Messenger comes to the Ogden Theatre in Denver and “My Old Friends,” but even but you can’t help but hear that record on Dec. 2. Credit: Graham Tolbert these songs — like the rest of through that particular lens … [it] would Taylor’s rich and rewarding new LP — impulsiveness, a musical freshness that not exist in the way that it does had we mentioned “Nu-Grape,” and vocalist have a thread of hope that keeps the not been living through what we were Eric D. Johnson of Fruit Bats, who joins might be a little harder to conjure on positive momentum on track. our home turf,” Taylor says. “So I knew living through.” Taylor and O’Donovan on “The all along that we were going to go Taylor was just as intentionWondering.” But even these somewhere. I wasn’t sure exactly al in writing and recording the outsiders are all established where.” new Hiss Golden Messenger friends of Taylor’s. Now it’s time for Taylor and his band album, Jump for Joy. Released “I had such a clear vision of to hit the road and share songs from Aug. 25 via indie juggernaut where I wanted to go with this Jump for Joy and also highlight songs Merge Records, Taylor’s latest that I felt like bringing anyone from across the many Hiss Golden is a reaction to the introspecelse in from outside would be Messenger albums he’s released since tive nature and subdued sound more of a hindrance than anyof the album’s lockdown-era thing,” he says. “I had a sort of he and Hirsch started the project in 2007. Taylor can’t say exactly what predecessor. clarity about what I was chasshape the set list will take on this round “I wanted the songs to feel ing that made making the of shows. more outward-facing, to feel record relatively easy. My “We make it a point to not ever play more ‘up,’ and to reflect what memory of recording this the same set because it keeps us on the band is capable of,” he record is mostly that it was our toes, keeps things interesting,” he says. “I think that giving myself just really fun … at no point says. “That’s one of the primary deterthat assignment came in part did we ever feel like we were mining factors in putting together a from thinking about the type of digging ditches.” setlist. ... We’re trying to combine [the record Quietly Blowing It was To bring the album to life, songs] into lists that seem kind of var… [a] very internal and inwardTaylor headed out from the ied, that are going to touch on as many facing record. I probably band’s home base of Durham, Jump for Joy by Hiss Golden Messenger was released Aug. 25. of the different emotions, themes or couldn’t or wouldn’t make a North Carolina to the Sonic Courtesy: Merge Records rhythms that we can.” record like that again. I felt like Ranch studio near El Paso, I reached the end of that particular Texas, with go-to engineer Scott Hirsch, GOING PLACES road.” guitarist Chris Boerner, bassist Alex In approaching Jump for Joy, Taylor felt To that end, the new album retains Bingham, keyboardist Sam Fribush and he needed to keep the project self conON THE BILL: Hiss Golden the burnished folk-pop feel of other drummer Nick Falk. tained. To that end, he produced the Messenger with Adeem the Hiss Golden Messenger releases while “I knew that I wanted to leave album himself and used his touring Artist. 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, infusing it with a brighter energy. That Durham because I wanted us all to be band. The only guests on the record Ogden Theatre, 935 E. Colfax much is apparent from the outset, as in a place that was unfamiliar, that are Aofie O’Donovan and Amy Helm, Ave., Denver. $27 opener “20 Years and a Nickel” launchmight push us toward a sort of musical who add backing vocals to the aforeBOULDER WEEKLY
NOVEMBER 23, 2023
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