BEST OF 2011 VINYL SALE: ST. VINCENT, TYLER THE CREATOR, MALKMUS & MORE

Our friends at Beggars Group — which includes such fine indie labels as Matador, 4AD, XL and True Panther — released some great albums in 2011 (and 2010), and to celebrate, we’re offering 10 select titles on vinyl — all of which come with a code to download the digital version of the album for free — on sale through January 15!

The titles are as follows:

St. Vincent Strange Mercy ($13.99)
Tyler, the Creator Goblin ($15.99)
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks Mirror Traffic ($16.99)
Altas Sound Parallax ($14.99)
Fucked Up David Comes to Life ($16.99)
Kurt Vile Smoke Ring for My Halo ($13.99)
Tune-Yards Whokill ($13.99)
Girls Father, Son, Holy Ghost ($19.99)
The Horrors Skying ($17.99)
Deerhunter Halcyon Digest ($13.99)

THE VINYL WORD: THE CHILI PEPPERS’ ‘BLOOD SUGAR SEX MAGIK’ AND MORE!

The Red Hot Chili Peppers‘ best album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik benefits immensely from Rick Rubin’s production — John Frusciante’s guitar is less overpoweringly noisy, leaving room for differing textures and clearer lines, while the band overall is more focused and less indulgent, even if some of the grooves drag on too long.

Lyrically, Anthony Kiedis is as preoccupied with sex as ever, whether invoking it as his muse, begging for it, or boasting in great detail about his prowess, best showcased on the infectiously funky singles “Give It Away” and “Suck My Kiss.” However, he tempers his testosterone with a more sensitive side, writing about the emotional side of failed relationships (“Breaking the Girl,” “I Could Have Lied”), his drug addictions (“Under the Bridge” and an elegy for Hillel Slovak, “My Lovely Man”), and some hippie-ish calls for a peaceful utopia. — Allmusic

OTHER NEW VINYL RELEASES:

Snow Patrol Fallen Empires
Mutemath Odd Soul
The Fall Ersatz G.B.
The Fall Laptop Dog
Mark Lanegan Band Gravedigger’s Song

BUY STUFF, GET FREE STUFF AT THE RX: LITTLE WILLIES COLOR LITHOGRAPH!

At The Record Exchange, you give a little, you get a little, and we have tons of free stuff to give away when you slap your dirty money down on the barrelhead.

NEW FREEBIES THIS WEEK:

• Bring in your Fitz/Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. Knitting Factory ticket stub and we’ll give you a free DEJJ CD single! FULL DETAILS HERE.

OTHER RECENT FREEBIES:

• Large color lithograph with purchase of The Little Willies‘ For the Good Times.
• Black Keys color poster with purchase of El Camino.
• Two-sided color litho with purchase of Jonsi‘s We Bought a Zoo soundtrack.
• Extremely limited bonus DVD with purchase of Bon Iver‘s self-titled album. READ MORE HERE.
• Free Carpark Records holiday vinyl LP — no purchase necessary! Includes tracks from Toro Y Moi, Cloud Nothings, Dan Deacon, Light Pollution and more. Just come in and ask for one — quantities limited!
• Free Anthrax Metal Club Collectors Card with purchase of Worship Music!
• Foil-treated lithograph with purchase of Smashing Pumpkins‘ Gish and Siamese Dream reissues — specific litho for each release!
• Black Friday exclusive Ozzy Osbourne Metal Club trading card with purchase of the Diary of a Madman or Blizzard of Oz reissue!
• Black Friday exclusive Kills postcard flexi disc (it’s a cardboard 45 that actually plays!) with purchase of Blood Pressures.
• Black Friday exclusive Jimmy Cliff 7-inch (cover of The Clash’s “Guns of Brixton” plus a dub version on the b-side) with purchase of the Jimmy Cliff Sacred Fire 12-inch.
• Bloodshot Records, Daptone Records or New West Records sampler CD with purchase of any Black Friday exclusive title — first customers in the door on Friday, Nov. 25 get them; once they’re gone they’re gone!
• Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. sampler CD — absolutely free, no purchase necessary! America’s Got Talent winner’s debut album That’s Life (out now) has an R&B-tinged Frank Sinatra vibe. Get a taste with this free sampler, then come back and pick up the full-length at the RX!
• Limited-edition patch (pictured) with purchase of Childish Gambino‘s Camp.
• Six-song Brushfire Records sampler EP (A Few Tunes for the New Year) with purchase of This Warm December: A Brushfire Holiday Vol. 2.
• Medium Rarities EP with purchase of Generationals‘ Actor/Caster.
• 11×17 color poster with purchase of Disturbed‘s The Lost Children.
• Custom Scott Weiland wrapping paper with purchase of Weiland’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.
• Limited-edition patch (pictured) with purchase of Childish Gambino‘s Camp.
• Six-song Brushfire Records sampler EP (A Few Tunes for the New Year) with purchase of This Warm December: A Brushfire Holiday Vol. 2.
• Medium Rarities EP with purchase of Generationals‘ Actor/Caster.
• 11×17 color poster with purchase of Disturbed‘s The Lost Children.
• Custom Scott Weiland wrapping paper with purchase of Weiland’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.
• 7-inch (“This City”/”Saturday Night Again”) with purchase of Patrick Stump‘s Soul Punk.
• Metal Club trading card with purchase of Megadeth‘s Thirteen.
• Luggage tag with purchase of Miranda Lambert‘s Four the Record.
• Limited-edition color photo/interview booklet with purchase of Pearl Jam‘s Twenty DVD.
• Stencil set with purchase of Deer Tick‘s Divine Providence.
• Signed and numbered (limited to 300) lithograph with purchase of The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams.
• Autographed lithograph with purchase of Mason Jennings‘ Minnesota.
• Stainless-steel water bottle with any Comedy Central Records purchase (more info HERE).
• Limited-edition lithograph with purchase of Evanescence‘s self-titled third album (available Tuesday, Oct. 11).
• Four-song Llama Blues CD EP with purchase of Rich Robinson‘s Through a Crooked Sun (available Tuesday, Oct. 11).
• Lyric book with purchase of Ryan Adams’ Ashes & Fire (available Tuesday, Oct. 11).
• Lithograph with purchase of Peter Gabriel‘s New Blood (available Tuesday, Oct. 11).
• Lithograph with purchase of Five Finger Death Punch‘s American Capitalist (available Tuesday, Oct. 11).
• 7-inch with purchase of Dum Dum Girls‘ Only in Dreams.
• Paint-by-numbers lithograph with purchase of Feist‘s Metals.
• Large (24″x36″) poster with purchase of Mastodon‘s The Hunter.
• Four-pack of postcards with purchase of Nirvana‘s Nevermind 20th Anniversary Edition.
• Lithograph with purchase of Kasabian‘s Velociraptor.
• Limited-edition color lithograph with purchase of Grateful Dead‘s Europe ’72 Volume 2.
• Magic playing cards with purchase of Nick Lowe‘s The Old Magic. READ MORE HERE.
• Exclusive DVD with purchase of Ladytron‘s Gravity the Seducer.
• Covers EP (Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Talking Heads and The Rolling Stones) with purchase of Umphrey’s McGee‘s Death By Stereo.
• Lenticular asterisk logo pin with purchase of Red Hot Chili Peppers‘ new album I’m With You and any RHCP Warner Bros. catalog title!
• T-shirt with purchase of a Volbeat Knitting Factory ticket (show is Sunday, Aug. 28). Tee is only available at the RX!
• Two-track 7-inch (featuring two live acoustic tracks) with purchase of Zee Avi‘s Ghostbird.
• T-shirt with purchase of All Shall Perish‘s This is Where it Ends.
• Lithograph with purchase of We Are Augustines‘ Rise Ye Sunken Ships.
• Color lithograph with purchase of Drive-By Truckers‘ Ugly Buildings, Whores and Politicians: Greatest Hits 1998-2009.
• Leather keychain with purchase of the Wood Brothers‘ Smoke Ring Halo.
• 5-song ‘Roarities’ EP with purchase of The Joy Formidable‘s The Big Roar.
• 7-inch (non-album tracks) with purchase of Release the Sunbird‘s (Rogue Wave) Come Back to Us.
• T-shirt with purchase of All Shall Perish‘s This is Where It Ends.
• 7-inch (featuring two non-album tracks) with purchase of Washed Out‘s Within and Without.
• Lithograph with purchase of Incubus‘ If Not Now, When?
• Button pack with purchase of Rave On Buddy Holly compilation.
• Button pack with purchase of Taking Back Sunday‘s self-titled album.
• Seven-track EP (six exclusive demos, one unreleased b-side) with purchase of Gomez‘s Whatever’s on Your Mind.
• Limited-edition letterpress print with purchase of Arctic Monkeys‘ Suck It and See.
• Indie-store-only 12-inch EP (exclusive tracks) with purchase of 3CD Deluxe Edition of Depeche Mode‘s Remixes 2: ’81-’11.
• Three-track Suitcase EP (exclusive tracks) with purchase of Dawes‘ Nothing is Wrong.
• Signed CD booklet and two-sided glossy poster with purchase of Peter Murphy‘s Ninth.
• Limited-edition color lithograph with purchase of Tedeschi Trucks Band‘s Revelator.
• Limited-edition postcard pack (featuring artwork by Tessa Farmer) with purchase of Amon Tobin‘s ISAM.
• Color lithograph with purchase of Ben Harper‘s Give Till It’s Gone.
• Fan with purchase of Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi‘s Rome.
• T-shirt with purchase of Peter Bjorn and John’s Gimme Some. Have a look!
• Silkscreen poster (pictured) with purchase of Fleet Foxes‘ Helplessness Blues.
• Tour photo scrapbook with purchase of The Head and the Heart‘s self-titled album.
• Five-song EP with purchase of Low‘s C’mon
• Color lithograph with purchase of Panda Bear‘s Tomboy.
• Color movie poster with purchase of TV on the Radio’s Nine Types of Light
• Color lithograph with purchase of Paul Simon’s So Beautiful or So What
• 19×19 inch lithograph with purchase of Radiohead’s “The King Of Limbs” album (available 3/29).
• Lithograph with purchase of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart‘s Belong (available 3/29).
• Download card for a cover of System Of A Down’s “Aerials” with purchase of Amon Amarth’s “Surtur Rising” album (available 3/29).
• 7-inch with purchase of Elton John and Leon Russell’s Grammy-nominated album The Union.
• 7′ with picture sleeve featuring two non-CD tracks when you buy G. Love’s Fixin’ to Die
• Hand-written lyric book with purchase of Adele’s 21
• Limited edition 7″ with vinyl. Free with purchase of PJ Harvey‘s new album, “Let England Shake”. Limited edition 7″ with vinyl includes the songs “The Words That Maketh Murder” and “The Guns Called Me Back Again”! (If you purchased the album Monday or Tuesday and did not receive this just bring your receipt in and we will provide you with one.)
• Six track EP (Sometimes Late at Night) with purchase of the Drive By TruckersGo Go Boots (available Tuesday).
•Limited edition color lithograph with purchase of The JayhawksHollywood Town Hall or Tomorrow the Green Grass. Available on CD and Vinyl.
•Button pack with purchase of Bob Marley‘s Live Forever.
• Button pack with purchase of Iron and Wine‘s Kiss Each Other Clean.
• Color lithograph with purchase of Deerhoof‘s Deerhoof vs. Evil.
• Color lithograph with purchase of the Get Up Kids’ There are Rules.
• Color poster with purchase of Cloud Nothings‘ self-titled album.
• Limited-edition color lithograph with purchase of The Decemberists‘ The King is Dead.
• Extremely limited sticker/button set with purchase of Social Distortion‘s Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes.
• Career-retrospective sticker set (all album covers and other images) with purchase of any Weezer album!
• Limited-edition color lithograph with purchase of Cage the Elephant‘s Thank You Happy Birthday.
• Hand-numbered, extremely limited-edition color lithograph with purchase of Tapes ‘n Tapes‘ Outside.
• CD single featuring a collaboration with The Cure’s Robert Smith with purchase of Crystal Castles‘ Crystal Castles.
• Fall 2010 Anti- Records sampler CD with purchase of select Anti- titles (on sale for $9.99 each).
• Nobunny/Jacuzzi Boys Scion A/V 7-inch absolutely free — just come in and ask for one. No strings attached!
• Band of Horses “Dilly” movie poster with purchase of Infinite Arms.
• CTI 40th Anniversary sampler CD with purchase of one of four 180-gram vinyl CTI Black Friday reissues (DeodatoPrelude, George BensonWhite Rabbit, Freddie HubbardRed Clay, Stanley TurrentineSugar).
• Psychiatric ward ID bracelet with purchase of Disturbed‘s Asylum.
• Black and white 8×10 lithograph with purchase of Bruce Springsteen‘s The Promise — indie store exclusive!
• Large, two-sided color poster with purchase of Underoath‘s O (Disambiguation).
• 7-inch with purchase of Matt and Kim‘s Sidewalks.
• Remix EP with purchase of N.E.R.D.‘s Nothing.
• Color lithograph with purchase of Good Charlotte‘s Cardiology.
• Button pack with purchase of Four Year Strong‘s Enemy of the World.
• T-shirt with purchase of Rise Against‘s Another Station: Another Mile DVD.
• 7-inch (two non-album tracks) with purchase of Belle and Sebastian‘s Write About Love.
• Turntable mat or lithograph with purchase of Slayer‘s The Vinyl Conflict box set or any Slayer catalog title!
• T-shirt with purchase of David Bowie‘s Station to Station Deluxe Edition.
• Postcard set with purchase of Soundgarden‘s Telephantasm.
• 7-inch with purchase of Jimmy Eat World‘s Invented.
• Poster and button pack with purchase of The Posies‘ Blood/Candy.
• 7-inch with purchase of Salem‘s King Night.
• Plastic beer cup and paper koozie with purchase of Billy Currington‘s Enjoy Yourself.
• Puffy sticker set and red balloon with purchase of Maximum Balloon‘s self-titled debut.
• 7-inch (two live tracks) with purchase of Matt Costa‘s Mobile Chateau.
• 7-inch with purchase of Les Savy Fav‘s Root for Ruin.
• Yep Roc/Bella Union CD sampler with purchase of Jukebox the Ghost‘s Everything Under the Sun or The Acorn’s No Ghost.
• Lithograph with purchase of Serj Tankian‘s Imperfect Harmonies.
• Numbered, appropriately psychedelic lithograph with purchase of The Black Angels‘ Phosphene Dream.
• Jean jacket-ready button with purchase of Of Montreal‘s False Priest.
• Extremely limited cloth wall banner with purchase of Justin Townes Earle‘s Harlem River Blues.
• Two-track 7-inch with purchase of The Walkmen‘s Lisbon.
• Lanyard redeemable for a free mix CD with purchase of Cloud Cult‘s Light Chasers.
• Lithograph with purchase of The Drums‘ self-titled album.
• Autographed poster or CD booklet with purchase of The Gracious Few‘s self-titled album.
• Rare single — one side vinyl, one side CD/DVD (no kidding) — of “Impossible,” featuring an unreleased track and video, with purchase of Anberlin‘s Dark Is the Way. Light Is a Place.
• 45 adapter with purchase of limited-edition 45-rpm vinyl version of Interpol‘s new self-titled album.
• 4-song 12-inch vinyl EP (including Four Tet and Born Ruffians remixes) with purchase of The Acorn‘s No Ghost.
• Button pack with purchase of Jenny & Johnny‘s I’m Having Fun Now.
• Arts & Crafts sampler CD with purchase of any Arts & Crafts title.
• Calendar with purchase of Hey Monday‘s Beneath It All.
• Hand fan with purchase of Katy Perry‘s Teenage Dream (extremely limited).
• Lithograph with purchase of Disturbed‘s Asylum.
• Free split 7-inch featuring Cheap Time and Bad Sports, courtesy of Vice Records and Scion AV — no purchase necessary, just come in and ask for it!
• 7-inch with purchase of Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs‘ God Willin’ and the Creek Don’t Rise.
• Lithograph with purchase of Brian Wilson‘s Reimagines Gershwin.
• Limited-edition 7-inch (with non-album tracks) with purchase of The Budos Bands‘ III.
• Out-of-print Casual Nostalgia Fest Sub Pop 20th anniversary live compilation with purchase of any August Sub Pop Sale title.
• Sassy large-sized lithograph with purchase of Queens of the Stone Age‘s Rated R Deluxe Edition.
• Sticker with purchase of Los Lobos‘ Tin Can Trust.
• Range mixtape (hosted by DJ Drama) with purchase of any hip-hop title.
• Lithograph with purchase of Sky Sailing‘s (Owl City) An Airplane Carried Me to Bed.
• Mixtape with purchase of Capone-N-Noreaga‘s The War Report 2.
• Magnet with purchase of Wolf Parade‘s Expo 86.
• Full-sized movie poster with purchase of Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse‘s Dark Night of the Soul.
• Free pink vinyl 7-inch featuring two versions of “XXXO” (the album cut plus a Blaqstarr remix) with purchase of M.I.A.‘s Maya (only $9.99!)
• Hand-numbered lithograph with purchase of Paul Thorn‘s Pimps and Preachers.
• Autographed CD booklet with purchase of Jackie Greene‘s Till the Light Comes.
• 7-inches with purchase of Sleigh Bells‘ Treats or Tokyo Police Club‘s Champ.
• Autographed lithograph with purchase of Local Natives‘ Gorilla Manor — seriously limited quantities!
• Lithograph with purchase of Derek Trucks Band‘s Roadsongs.
• Indie-exclusive numbered lithograph with purchase of Ozzy Osbourne‘s Scream.
• Sticker with purchase of The Chemical Brothers‘ Further.
• Lithograph with purchase of Nas and Damian Jr. Gong Marley‘s Distant Relatives.
• Indie-exclusive lithograph with purchase of the Iron Man 2 soundtrack.
• Postcard set with purchase of The Gaslight Anthem‘s American Slang.
• Poster with purchase of The Cure’s Disintegration Deluxe Edition.
• Limited-edition concert poster with purchase of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals‘ new self-titled album.
• Etched blue vinyl 7-inch with purchase of Jack Johnson‘s To the Sea.
• White vinyl 7-inch with purchase of The Futureheads‘ The Chaos.
• Lithograph with purchase of Marina and the Diamonds‘ The Family Jewels.
• 3D lenticular poster (5×5 for CD buyers, 12×12 for vinyl buyers) with purchase of Widespread Panic‘s Dirty Side Down.
• Limited-edition lithograph with purchase of LCD Soundsystem‘s This is Happening.
• Button set or laminate card with purchase of The Dead Weather‘s Sea of Cowards.
• Two-sided color poster with purchase of Everest‘s On Approach.
• Record Exchange exclusive autographed Josh Ritter CD booklet with purchase of So Runs the World Away.
• Togetherness 7-inch, featuring three covers of songs by the Detroit band Outrageous Cherry, with purchase of The New Pornographers‘ Together.
• Limited-edition autographed poster with purchase of Minus the Bear‘s Omni.
• Limited-edition autograph poster with purchase of Plants and Animals‘ La La Land.
• La Blogotheque: A Take Away Show Barcelona, Spain limited-edition DVD with purchase of Josh Rouse‘s El Turista.
• Whoopee cushion — that’s right, a whoopee cushion — with purchase of comedian Brian Posehn‘s Fart and Wiener Jokes. Whoopee!
• 12-inch, six-track EP with purchase of The Apples in Stereo‘s Travellers in Space and Time.
• 7-inch with purchase of Freelance Whales‘ Weathervanes.
• Numbered lithograph with the purchase of MGMT‘s Congratulations.
• Numbered lithograph with purchase of Coheed and Cambria‘s Year of the Black Rainbow.
• Lithograph with purchase of Rogue Wave‘s Permalight.
• Lithograph with purchase of Liars‘ Sisterworld.
• MVD Visual DVD sampler with purchase of any new music DVD or Blu-ray disc.
• Poster with purchase of John Butler Trio‘s April Uprising.
• 7-inch with purchase of Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings‘ I Learned the Hard Way.
• Gorillaz postcard set with purchase of Plastic Beach.
• Lithograph with purchase of Flobots‘ Survival Story.
• Lithograph of original Jimi Hendrix artwork with purchase of Valleys of Neptune.
• Lithograph and sticker with purchase of Johnny Cash‘s American VI.
• Mixtape CD (choose from two) with purchase of RDJ2‘s The Colossus.
• 7-inch with purchase of Hot Chip‘s new album One Life Stand.
• Digital download card for a free bonus EP (“Mistake” remixes) with purchase of Moby‘s Wait For Me.
• Many more — just ask an RX clerk!

RECORD EXCHANGE TOP 50 ’11 SELLERS

Here it is: The year that was at The Record Exchange. These albums were the Top 50 sellers at the store for calendar year 2011.

If you’re playing catchup, we’ve made it easy for you: Clink on the links to preview music and purchase on CD, vinyl and MP3 (yup, we sell digital music, too).

Thank you for shopping your local independent music store in 2011. If we could hug all of you at once, we would.

And now, the RX Top 50 of 2011:

1. Adele 21
2. Mumford & Sons Sigh No More
3. The Black Keys El Camino
4. Youth Lagoon The Year of Hibernation
5. Various Artists Idaho Ho Ho
6. Fleet Foxes Helplessness Blues
7. The Decemberists The King is Dead
8. The Head and the Heart The Head and the Heart
9. The Black Keys Brothers
10. Foster the People Torches
11. Foo Fighters Wasting Light
12. Bon Iver Bon Iver
13. Tom Waits Bad As Me
14. Beastie Boys Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 2
15. Wilco The Whole Love
16. Florence + the Machine Lungs
17. Radiohead The King of Limbs
18. Paul Simon So Beautiful or So What
19. Coldplay Mylo Xyloto
20. Iron & Wine Kiss Each Other Clean
21. Alison Krauss and Union Station Paper Airplane
22. Florence + the Machine Ceremonials
23. Red Hot Chili Peppers I’m With You
24. Death Cab for Cutie Codes and Keys
25. Amos Lee Mission Bell
26. Ray LaMontagne God Willin’ and the Creek Don’t Rise
27. The Civil Wars Barton Hollow
28. Cake Showroom of Compassion
29. Eddie Vedder Ukulele Songs
30. Trans Atlantic Crush Remember
31. Lucinda Williams Blessed
32. Gillian Welch The Harrow and the Harvest
33. Lady Gaga Born This Way
34. Mastodon The Hunter
35. Drive-By Truckers Go-Go Boots
36. My Morning Jacket Circuital
37. Adele 19
38. Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers Rare Bird Alert
39. Brett Dennen Loverboy
40. Feist Metals
41. Bright Eyes The People’s Key
42. Steve Earle I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive
43. She & Him A Very She & Him Christmas
44. M83 Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
45. Elton John and Leon Russell The Union
46. Ryan Adams Ashes & Fire
47. Brandi Carlile Live at Benaroya Hall
48. R.E.M. Collapse Into Now
49. Neil Young A Treasure
50. Michael Buble Christmas

NEW RELEASE OF THE WEEK: SNOW PATROL’S FALLEN EMPIRES (CD/VINYL)

PREVIEW & BUY THE CD HERE
PREVIEW & BUY THE DELUXE CD HERE
PREVIEW & BUY THE VINYL HERE

Fallen Empires is less a sharp turn than a gentle veer: Electronic bits rap softly at the door of “I’ll Never Let Go” and “The Symphony,” while a South Central L.A. gospel choir visits “The Weight Of Love” and a couple of other songs. But Snow Patrol’s core hasn’t changed, and that’s just as well. Each song is still anchored by Gary Lightbody’s earnest—some would argue far too earnest, and they wouldn’t be entirely wrong—lyrics, his vocals front and center on every track. Empires has the requisite huge ballad that swells into a power-ballad (“This Isn’t Everything You Are”), the quiet, contemplative ballad (“The Garden Rules”), and the dark-side-flirting rocker (“Fallen Empires”).

At the risk of damning the whole enterprise with faint praise, Fallen Empires is absolutely solid, with variations in quality almost imperceptible. On the Snow Patrol continuum, it’s less satisfying than 2003’s fantastic Final Straw, but a step up from 2008’s A Hundred Million Suns.  There’s no song in particular that sounds like it’ll tip the band back into the wider public’s eye, except perhaps the maudlin, eager “Lifening,” which could play over a great romantic movie scene. But maybe, as evidenced by the band’s everyman approach, that’s exactly what these guys want: the freedom to make the best middle-of-the-road rock possible. It’s not where you want to spend all of your listening time, but it’s comforting at worst and occasionally fantastic. — Onion A.V. Club