With the release of their self-titled EP, their critically applauded full-length debut White Reaper Does It Again and a series of tours with nationally renowned acts like Deerhoof, Young Widows, Priests and others, the Louisville, KY-based quartet White Reaper quickly became JOVM mainstays and received attention nationally and elsewhere. After touring to support their White Reaper Does It Again, the band retreated to write and record the material that would comprise their long-awaited sophomore effort The World’s Best American Band, which is slated for an April 7, 2017 release through Polyvinyl Records.
Last month, I wrote about The World’s Best American Band’s first single “Judy French,” a single, which revealed that the band had gone through a decided change in sonic direction from scuzzy, power chord-based garage towards New Wave and prog rock and a bit of a studio sheen that reminded me a bit of The Cars “You Might Think” and Moving Pictures-era Rush while retaining a sneering punk attitude and rousingly anthemic hooks. Interestingly, the album’s second and latest single, album title track “The World’s Best American Band” continues on a somewhat similar cleaner, leaner vein as its preceding single while seemingly drawing to the anthemic power pop of Cheap Trick and others; and in fact, the single finds the band with the same sort of enormous sound you’d expect from the sorts of bands that have played arenas and stadiums.