Album Review
Nite Owls
by JD McPherson
By Joe Vickrey
Nite Owls Album Art
Crunchy drums, fuzz bass, and the budget guitars of yesteryear have ushered in a 60s Garage Rock Revival with JD McPherson’s Nite Owls. This throwback record feels like the rebirth of rock and roll.
Rather than cloaking pop songs in antique production or churning out vintage knockoffs, I’m convinced JD McPherson is someone who has sincerely immersed himself in 50s and 60s rockabilly, surf, and R&B. He’s not imitating a golden era – he’s genuinely living in it. There’s an unmistakable authenticity to his songwriting that deserves applause, and I’d consider these songs to be the strongest of his career.
The ride begins with “Sunshine Getaway,” which sounds as cool as the title suggests. Greased back hair and leather jackets adorn this earworm. The best way I could describe it is The Velvet Underground meets The Black Keys. It’s not experimental like the former and it’s not as heavy as the latter, but it’s got a backbeat of steel and a sharp guitar hook that make this track a winner.
JD’s melodies also have moments reminiscent of Buddy Holly with this tune, as well as “I Can’t Go Anywhere With You” and “The Rock and Roll Girls.”
A majority of the album is uptempo, fun, and easy to move to. Purpose-built to be listened to in classic cars at high speeds or on beaches during surf competitions, this retro rocker makes it near impossible to frown through.
This is most apparent in “Just Like Summer” and “Baby Blues.” Both are bangers that are being absorbed into “good vibe” playlists across the globe as we speak. McPherson’s vocal performance is outstanding on not only these songs, but throughout the record. Energetic and upfront, his voice feels powerful and fuller than ever.
I need to take a minute to nerd out about how cool the guitars on this record sound. To start, they have zero sustain. Many guitarists fall into the trap of “everything needs as much sustain as possible,” but that doesn’t always benefit the music. The plucky rhythms and splashy chords ride on waves of spring reverb. Dick Dale would be proud (or maybe he wouldn’t. He was kind of an odd duck). Regardless, it’s such a nice touch. These songs simply wouldn’t be as strong if JD tried to be Jimmy Page. While each layer on this album would be quite thin on its own, together the spectrum is filled out quite nicely.
The album has one instrumental: “The Phantom Lover of New Rochelle.” It sounds exactly like you can imagine it would, and I refuse to elaborate on that any further.
It’s the most period-correct piece on the album, and it’s right next to the most modern sounding song, “Don’t Travel Through the Night Alone.” The vocal performance on “Don’t Travel Through the Night Alone” is phenomenally wistful. Be still my heart! My only complaint is that “Night” isn’t spelled like the “Nite” in Nite Owls, but the song is virtually perfect.
It’s the perfect segue to the hushed harmonies in “That’s What a Love Song Does to You.” It closes the album with hints of Beach Boys influence in both the instrumentation and vocalization.
If the album began with sunshine, it certainly closes with a romantic sundown.
D McPherson is the prime example of someone who took what they love and used it to carve out their own path in the music industry. I’m curious to know whether others will interpret this record as revisionist history or as the rebirth of a classic sound. In either case, the songs themselves are quite strong, and it makes for such a pleasant listen. I’d be shocked if we don’t hear more from JD in the mainstream soon.
In the meantime, come and dance with the nite owls, honey.