Train - California 37

Well this is a great surprise to have an entire new follow-up to the brilliant and best of their career album Save Me, San Francisco so quickly and well maybe it isn't as quick as one would think but that album has such great staying power that it is still sounding as fresh as it did when it was first released.

California 37 continues the journey set forth on Save Me, San Francisco and does with a great song "This'll Be My Year" which nearly runs through my life personally. I could put this song on repeat and listen to it for an hour easily, as the album progresses this sort of feeling sticks around as Train has figured out what it is to make an album that has substance. The pop rock single "Drive By" is just as good as all their other hits and is a nice bouncy uptempo tune that has one of those sing-a-long chorus's impossible not to be included in when it plays.

I've always said that if they would keep the tempo's quick they would consistently be wonderful and for the most part that happens on California 37. "Feels Good At First" is another of those songs that paints such a wonderful picture in your mind as it unfolds. The uplifting country tune "Bruises" which features Ashley Monroe is worth the price of admission. It's such a happy, positive and loving tune that makes this pretty nice sunny spring day I'm enjoying even better. The validation of which the chorus is sung so proudly by both vocalist makes this song sail. If you don't hit repeat and listen to it again I'd be surprised because its just so damn catchy.

The band slides a little with "50 Ways To Say Goodbye" but then again wait, that, that, Kelly Clarkson styled chorus picks it up enough to compensate for the Spanish ole verse and melody. Now the song that follows it opens with a whistling melody and I'm sucked in immediately. I'm such a sucker for handclaps, la la's, whistling, ooh ooh's and the like. I do love the melody but the chorus is a bit weak and not as good the material that came before it which is a tad disappointing.

That stumble is all forgiven with the genius "Sing Together" that follows and is probably my favorite song of the week now. The sweet mandolin and squeeze box instrumentation that accompanies Pat Monahan's crooning vocals is more inviting that a fresh plate of poutine with extra cheese and mom's best gravy ever.

As with all Train records the production value is amazing. This band makes excellent sounding records and usually they are superior to everyone else out there. Very few bands make such great sounding records from and engineering point even if you don't like the songs they still have glorious production.  The album closes with back to back slow numbers in the very typical Train fashion which I'm not the biggest fan of but I have to admit I like them both "We Were Made For This" is the better of the two but "When The Fog Rolls In" reminds me of The Band in dynamics with a nice southern gospel undertone that makes you want to sway side to side as it plays through.

Train followed their excellent 2009 album with one that is almost as great and has now turned me into a real fan of them. I was still on the fence about them but I'm not any longer I'm joining the bandwagon with the rest of their fans.