Great pop rockers from Train & The Script

One listen is all it takes for me to tell if an album is good. This is where the music, the lyrics, the sound quality, the total production are the main considerations. I listen to it again to find out if I really like it. If I do, then I listen again to decide if I will keep the album to be able to enjoy it more in the future. Here are two bands whose releases almost always pass that test, Train and The Script. I am glad to say that their new albums are no exceptions.

The Grammy-winning Train is an alternative rock band. There are many though who contest that classification. They would much rather think of the California group as pop rockers. They point out to the fact that Train songs are very commercial in structure and feature the piano as the dominant instrument. Real rockers almost always prefer the guitar. Besides and I find this so true, there is just no way you can think of songs like Marry Me, Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me) and that fantastic ear worm, Hey Soul Sister, as not being pop.

Pop, rock or pop rock or whatever, classification has no bearing on what Train turns out. The band has after all, already sold over 10 million albums and 30 million tracks. They make rock music so tuneful, that you can listen to their songs over and over again and you will only love them more and more and more. Train albums are made for marathon plays. This was so in the early days with the likes of Drops of Jupiter and Save Me San Francisco and it remains true in the band’s latest, Bulletproof Picasso.  This is Train’s seventh studio album and I am glad to say it is one of their best.

At the forefront is of course, lead singer and songwriter Pat Monahan.  The sound of his sweet tenor is one that rock music can be really proud of and he has this gift for writing lyrics with clever, surprising metaphors. For example have you ever thought of a Picasso as being bulletproof? Not me.  Well, this guy does and he has Train playing the tune. The other members of this tight incredible band are lead guitarist Jimmy Stafford; Jerry Becker on piano and rhythm guitar; Hector Maldonado on bass; and Drew Shoals on drums.

Angel In Blue Jeans, surely the most commercial track of the batch is the album’s first single. But it is Cadillac, Cadillac which sets the pace. It chugs merrily along, sometimes fun, sometimes angry or in love and sometimes a lot of other emotions. Listen to how they can go all explosive with the title cut or be the infectious pop band with Wonder What You’re Doing For The Rest Of Your Life featuring Marsha Ambrosius and Give It All or go plaintive and sad with Don’t Grow Up So Fast.  Bulletproof Picasso is a mixed bag but such an enjoyable one.

If you want more rocking fun tunes, you might want to check out No Sound Without Silence by The Script.  Often described as Ireland’s most successful music export since U2, The Script is made up of Danny O’Donoghue, lead singer and songwriter and also pianist; Mark Sheehan on vocals and guitar: and Glen Plower on vocals and drums.  They made their debut with the album The Script in 2008 which contained the big hit singles The Man Who Can’t Be Moved and Breakeven (Falling To Pieces). This was followed by Science And Faith two years later with the hits For The First Time and Nothing. The third album titled #3 came next with the hit Hall of Fame, where the boys collaborated with will.i.am. They have sold over 20 million albums.

The fourth album is No Sound Without Silence and I say that it is The Script’s best to date.  I find the variety of songs in the album truly remarkable.  There are commercial, radio friendly foot tappers like No Good In Goodbye.  There are moving ballads like Flares, anthemic rockers like Superheroes, a happy paean to their country Ireland in Paint The Town Green and even a hearty tribute to rock and roll and the rock stars who started it all in Without Those Songs.  The Script blends catchy melodies with heavy themes and then perform the songs with such passion. I admit this is most surprising coming from pop rockers but The Script makes it all work. Prepare to listen to No Sound Without Silence again and again.