Buffett's 28th studio release, "Buffet Hotel" (named after a real hotel in Mali, hence the spelling discrepancy), contains copious amounts of his trademark folksy island sound, but the 62-year-old singer mixes it up frequently enough to keep his longtime faithful happy.
Buffett has always been adept at integrating numerous styles and instruments into his music, from folk ballads ("Beautiful Swimmers") to catchier tunes that lean more pop ("Wings"), to country songs that effectively use Buffett's natural twang.
For anyone lamenting the lack of flugelhorn and mandolin in contemporary music, Buffett's new stuff is for you. Fans of Dick Dale's "Misirlou" days will especially dig the groove behind "Surfing in a Hurricane," Buffett's first surf-rock song.
Lyrically, Buffett and his Coral Reefer Band don't deviate very far from his traditional subject matter: weekends on the beach, rendezvous in seaside bars and hotels, and escaping from the day-to-day grind that Buffett himself has successfully managed to avoid for 30 years.
Buffett is the classic summertime raconteur, the balladeer who's inside looking out. Never one to shy away from speaking his mind, Buffett gives himself the bully pulpit in the song "A Lot to Drink About": "Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, we got a lot to drink about."
There's nothing groundbreaking on "Buffet Hotel," but there are certainly enough twists and turns to go along with Buffett's fan- and radio-friendly new tunes to keep said Parrotheads' noggins amiably bobbing away as they dream of another summer in paradise next year.
The ABC12 Listening Room staff: James Chesna, editor-in-chief; Josh Daunt, managing editor, photographer; LeeAlan Weddel, contributing editor, staff writer, photographer; Beth McEnroe, staff writer, photographer; Gwen Mikolajczak, staff writer; Chris Harris, photographer, staff writer; Eric Fletcher, chief photographer; Randy Cox, photographer; Chris Carr, photographer; Jessica Reid, contributing photographer; Bill Harris, contributing photographer; Shawn Light, contributing writer; Robin Chan, contributing writer.
