For The Nude Party, nearly a decade has flown by in the blink of an eye. In that time, the New York-based band has released a pair of well-received albums, an EP and played numerous shows.
On “The Nude Party Rides On2, this septet have moved beyond their start as a garage-rock party band. They’ve haven’t lost that early energy and irreverent wit, but they’ve added a musical and lyrical ambition that makes them one of the best under-30 rock bands around. Those ambitions are stated clearly in “Tell Em,” the key song on the new album. It begins, revealingly, with a collision of urban and rural sounds, as Shaun Couture’s streetwise, stiletto guitar stabs into Patton Magee’s pastoral, Americana strumming.
Soon Magee’s nasal tenor is singing, “Daddy told me, ‘Don’t lose your way. When you go singing a song, have something to say…. Tell ’em all the good times; tell ’em all the bad times too.’” The Nude Party has a history of catching people off guard. If audiences are expecting the fun and funny music implied by the band’s name, they’re surprised by the brittle chords or droning counterpoint of the Velvet Underground-inspired guitars and by the bite of the lyrics’ satire. There are more such surprises on the new album, which tackles hypocritical lovers, class divisions, loneliness, looming mortality, nuclear war and political violence—usually in the context of loose and catchy rock ’n’ roll.
The band has historically worked with a producer to help them create a distinct sound in their records but with their latest effort, “Rides On”, the band decided to handle production duties by themselves. The hands-on approach allowed the band to have as much fun creating as they ever had at any other point in their career. They recorded over 20 songs, including some that dabbled in electro-pop and stripped-down country before settling on the final 14 songs containing the best elements of ‘70s-driven blues rock.
The relaxed vibe of the session also unleashed a diverse sonic texture compared to their previous releases. Sonically, the album is reminiscent of Sticky Fingers-era Stones, but the lyrics are mini-vignettes that embody the spirit of what The Nude Party are going for — and their growth as a band.
The Fat Angel Sings 