Butch Walker - Letters

I first became aware of Butch Walker when I bought the second Marevelous 3 album. “Freak of the Week” was an infectious hit I couldn’t get enough of, and when I saw the album on sale, I picked it up. I listened to that album for a couple months but then got a little tired of it. Like eating too many donuts, I knew I had had enough sugar, and I couldn’t take anymore. I still dust those Marvelous 3 albums off for a listen every now and then, but their lack of substance keeps them from heavy rotation. Now it’s a few years later, and Butch comes out with his second solo album, and for better or worse, not much has changed. Letters is a stellar disc from start to finish, showcasing Butch’s ability to right one hell of a catchy melody. “Maybe It’s Just Me,” “Mixtape,” and “#1 Summer Jam” start off the disc with a murder’s row of sugary pop, but it’s also an odd feeling listening to a grown man sing about mixtapes and summer love. That is pretty much the album as a whole; reading the lyrics alone isn’t a study in Shakespeare, but listening to the songs themselves, you really don’t seem to care. Continuing with the pop rock, the disc pounds out the head nodding tracks like “Uncomfortably Numb,” “Lights Out,” and “Race Cars And Goth Rock.” The second half of the disc, on the other hand, showcases a few unexpected gems. “Don’t Move,” “Best Thing You Never Had,” and “Promise” come out of the gates with a bit more mature and focused sound of what Butch is capable of. Lyrically, the albums high point comes with the solemn “Joan,” a track about abuse and dealing with pain with extreme measures. Finishing up with “Thank You Note,” Butch again focuses on a serious subject with tact and heartfelt emotion. It’s hard to get away from what you do best, and there is no shame in that. Butch Walker has a talent for writing pop rock melodies that rattle around in your head for days, and that is the immediate attraction of this disc. What keeps you coming back for more, however, is the softer, more mature side of the discs slower tracks. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t Shakespeare, but it’s a damn fun listen, and at the end of a hot summer, that’s all I’m looking for. On the surface Butch is all sugar and no substance, but like the hidden track (one of the albums strongest tracks), there is more than meets the eye, and more worth sticking around for. [www.butchwalker.com]