Train has put itself in an enviable but pressurized situation. The band got on the public’s map in a big way with radio hits like the title track from Drops of Jupiter and “Calling All Angels” (from My Private Nation), then they hit on all cylinders with a great album that’s a solid listen from track to track on Save Me, San Francisco. California 37 followed with this pressure and, while these ears did not exactly fall in love at first listen, several spins and miles later this album is a solid whole instead of select pieces. Call it a success. This one strikes me the same way upon the first three listens – some good songs, the sound we expect from Train (like the lead-off catchy and quirky pop rocker “Cadillac, Cadillac” and the title track), but the styles stake more airtime in the slickly-produced and danceable pop rock realm of Maroon 5. Wow. Me thinks this calculated risk will alienate a few fans, surprise a few and gain some people in radioland looking for a new single. They’re good at pop, but why do it? Why, Train? Why?
There’s that familiar guitar string plucking sound in “Angel in Blue Jeans.” It’s interesting how they co-opted the over-used “Whoa-oh-oh-whoa-oh’s” that are heard in alt-rock radio tunes like handclaps, cellos and woodwinds, but the band excels here. Vocalist Pat Monahan has a smooth voice that could croon his way out of most any trouble.
Train is like the band Guardian on steroids. Imagine that Christian hard rock heavyweight band Guardian with Steve Taylor locked into a longtime production contract on a major label. That’s what Train sounds like. Smart, catchy rock with infectious pop hooks that can easily live on the radio. It’s funny, I have a good friend that hates Train. He likens them to the cliche of Christian rock – borrowing from every rock staple to produce a bland, but crowd-pleasing mush-fluff. I see his point, but sometimes you have to mute out the haters to enjoy some vanilla ice cream – if it’s good. Train is good, it’s just not good enough, rough enough or quirky enough to please the rock snobs. I’m sure the band, with its private wine label and major market shows and actual record sales could care less.
That’s the music of Train – smart, catchy pop that grew up on classic rock like the Doobie Brothers, Allman Bros. and Led Zeppelin. And then there’s the lyrics. Stay with me on the Steve Taylor produced Buzz/Bottle Rocket -era of Guardian here. I credit frontman Pat Monahan for the witty lyrics. Whoever mentored or trained him to write did a good job and has unleashed a beast that’s worth studying by young songwriters. He’s no Dylan, but how many impressionable young musicians discover the masters on their own when they don’t have to search far (like the radio dial or Spotify’s recommendations) to find someone that’s got the gift? On California 37 he brought an obtuse reference like Hefty two-ply bags (into “Drive By”) and the line “For every heartbreak, there’s a sermon to be said / And this pastor in my head’s preaching to the choir…” (“Feels Good At First”). On Save Me… he referenced Winger, Madonna and Mister Mister on the radio. Here we have little gems like:
“I bet your family
Never wanna see me
Sisters wanna knee me…”
(“Baby, Happy Birthday”)“That Big Apple took a bite out of me
Never the same after living in the city…“On the east coast people are regal
on the west coast mary jane is legal…”I bet they penned that one (from “Wonder What You’re Doing For the Rest of Your Life”) long before the song, waiting for a place to drop it.
“I’d rather sit online, staring into cyberspace
Than lose another part of me to another pretty face…”“Call yourself a cab, watch my Cadillac disappear.”
(“Cadillac, Cadillac”)
Sigh. I’m not sure I can get used to the snapping pop of “The Bridge” or “Wonder What You’re Doing For The Rest Of Your Life.” I mean, I have to admit that I liked me some “Harder To Breathe” from that first big Maroon 5 album, but I’ve not given a rip about a single M5 song since. I would not have advised Train to explore pop/beat territory, but it’s a free world. I have to respect the falsetto vocals in the chorus of “Give It All,” which reminds me of when The Edge takes over the mic for U2 (“Seconds” from War or “Cedars of Lebanon” chorus cameos on No Line on the Horizon). So yeah, I’m taken aback by a lot of what I hear on Bulletproof Picasso. But I can wrap my head around the infectious whistle that begins “Son of a Prison Guard,” whose melody carries on and then fades out as you hear boots walking a concrete floor as gates close behind them. That’s a high point. Overall, I think this album is a step backwards for Train, but parts of it are growing on me like fungus. “I’m Drinkin’ Tonight” and “Don’t Grow Up So Fast” clock in with an old Western blues vibe and then a sentimental country ballad. Predictable, but I can listen to those tunes again. I realize I’ve spent some hard earned punk rock cred for this review, but hey. Train didn’t necessarily get better with this release, but if they would’ve brought out that ukelele again and relied on the tried and true formula, that mighta sucked, too. Call it a stretch. Just keep this train going. [Columbia] Doug Van Pelt
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