Catspaw

's 15th studio album and third since moving from Los Angeles to his home state of Nebraska, 2021's finds him further digging into his anthemic power pop and tube-amp guitar wizardry. Following the 2013 move, set up a studio at his house, where he'd recorded 2017's and 2018's . Both of those albums found him embracing his sparkling brand of '60s- and '70s-inspired rock, and is much in the same vein. Again recorded at his home, is a darker, rawer-sounding album than both of its predecessors, with a more focused and uniform aesthetic. Part of this focus comes from playing all of the instruments except for drums, which were supplied by his longtime collaborator and member . There's also an abundance of slower, midtempo songs which lends the album an air of moody gravitas. Still, there are strong chorus hooks here, punctuated by 's serpentine guitar work -- a style influenced by his past guitar collaborators including and 's . He kicks things off in muscular fashion with the slow-churning "Blown Away," his acidic harmonies and bluesy guitar licks evoking . Also engaging are cuts like "Give a Little," "Challenge the Gods," and "Drifting," all of which bring to mind a mix of . Also, the album's crunchy guitar tones and double-tracked vocals evoke 's own classic albums like . This, even as his lyrics find him ruminating on life as an aging rock singer with a sense of pyrrhic, hopeful rage. On "Challenge the Gods," he sings "Rise above, take your place/Punch the world in the face/Use your time to rise above." With , has crafted an album that cuts deep and leaves a strong impression. ~ Matt Collar