Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr: It's A Corporate World

Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr had me at hello.  I must confess, the reason I first listened to their EP was because I grew up in the South and was a big NASCAR fan. I figured any band with enough sense of humor to name themselves after one of the legends of the sport must be OK.  But not only were they OK, they quickly became my favorite band of last summer.
 
That carried though into 2011, after I saw them live for the first time.  Their SXSW performance at KCRW’s showcase highlighted the new songs, the shimmering pop opuses they are, and left us with one big question -- when the heck will their full length album be out?
 
Well, it is finally out June 7 and It’s A Corporate World is full of the sparkling sounds we have come to expect after devouring the band’s debut EP and live shows.  Yes, there are some recognizable favorites on the new album, like “Simple Girl,” but there is a whole host of new material as well.
 
From the fuzz of “Morning Thought” and the pop perfection of the title track to the gritty earnestness of “We Almost Lost Detroit,” the record buzzes with the sounds of the Motor City filtered through a love of pop music, jazz and the silliness of a toy piano.  They are gentle with their sounds and fierce with their musicianship.
 
To me, Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr sound the way the Beach Boys might sound if you listened to them “Graduate” style from the bottom of a swimming pool.  And that’s not to say that they don’t take their music seriously.  They do.  But they also have a helluva good time making it.
 
-- Anne Litt, KCRW Music Host
 
It’s A Corporate World will be available to stream on demand from May 30 through June 28, 2011. The album will be released on Tuesday, June 7, 2011.
 
Artist website: http://www.daleearnhardtjrjr.com
 
Track listing
1. Morning Thought
2. Nothing But Our Love
3. Skeletons
4. An Ugly Person On A Movie Screen
5. When I Open My Eyes
6. Husbands (Interlude)
7. It's A Corporate World
8. Simple Girl
9. If It Wasn't You...
10. Vocal Chords
11. We Almost Lost Detroit
12. The Fisherman