Nuke the Soup’s latest album is a thrilling 11-song ride that is full to the brim with inventive guitar work, heartfelt lyrics, exquisitely written tunes, and just an infectious, realistic energy that made it an exceptionally easy ride to sit through.
American band Nuke the Soup are fronted by singer and songwriter Mark Davison. On Dancing on the Edge, Davison was supported by an illustrious band of veteran musicians that include Brian Simms on the varied ensemble of characterful keyboards, Gerry Leonard’s intricate and colorful guitars, Mike Mennel’s thick and driving bass grooves, with Chester Thompson and John Thomakos dividing drum duty amongst themselves. It also pays to preemptively disclose Kevin Killen of U2 and Peter Gabriel fame as one of the album’s 2 producers, with the other one being guitarist Gerry Leonard, who -by the way- toured extensively with a lesser-known musician who sadly passed away too soon, he was called David Bowie.
At its core, Dancing on the Edge is a lament for Davison’s 2 parents who passed on during the two years this album was in the making, but one man’s lament is another’s celebration. The songs on Dancing on the Edge are powerful and profound. Davison’s vocals are consistently accessible and relatable, with his words most often touching and heartfelt, realistic and mature and lightly poetic, just enough to come across easily, and while the sadness at the changing times that Davison was experiencing with the loss of both parents is clear and tangible, there is also an unmistakable lightness, a conceivable hope that displays a man more interested in celebrating lives well lived than pine in his own personal turmoil. Regardless, I readily offer heartfelt condolences to Davison concerning his massive loss, and then immediately congratulate him on concocting such a delightful blend of songs, unquestionably spurred on -even if only in part- by the intense emotional shifts he was experiencing.
Regarding the album’s most standout pieces we will easily be able to spot something worth discussing on each of the album’s 11 cuts. Starting with the Guster-like ‘Biggest Storm’, a perfect starter, we will find a tangy arrangement of guitars that feature succulent strums and clean, melodic riffs that drive the song’s western flair home. The solid 4-on-the-floor groove, familiar and sweet chord progressions, and abrupt organ swells all introduce us quite nicely to the band’s mature pop rock sensibilities. ‘Everybody’s Working’ follows with an arrangement that’s reggae-inspired with its consistent strums on the upbeat. Brian Simms’s keyboard riffs and the sound itself is immediately charismatic and a load of fun. The song’s main call to action “everybody’s working on something” is touching, and the song’s sweet lyrics prod listeners on to just take tiny steps in the directions that take them closer to where they want to be. The pure joy of the tenor saxophone solo defines the song’s mid-section.
‘Jump In’ introduces the band’s rock leanings. Driven by Leonard’s simplistic, Green Day-esque overdriven, power chords riff. With vivid synth stabs, restrained and effective vocal harmonies, and an ambiance-setting electric guitar riff that gracefully announces the short and provocative hook, ‘Jump In’ is a masterfully orchestrated song. Then the album’s first touch of melancholy arrives in the form of ‘Lost on You’, a song defined by its grandiose acoustic strums, touching words, and mesmerizing electric guitar and keyboard work. A sad progression, supported by electric guitar ad-libs that reminded me of Richard Hawley’s trippy, modulated lines, a solid groove, and melodies that are immediately easy to digest, ‘Lost on You’ is one of my personal favorites. More of the same, efficient, and accessible pop rock goodness can be found on the suburban ‘House Lights’. With its lyrics that offer a nod to those of The National’s in their innate mystery and lack of desire to be easily decodable, ‘House Lights’ is a clear lyrics standout with lines such as “…Every day I find my way in this small room deep in the cosmos, every night I write my name in the stars”, as well as musically via its vast and granular synth pad line that elegantly saturates the entire atmosphere behind the ensemble’s tangible instrumental lines.
‘My Angel Does’ is another stunner with gorgeous interplay between electric guitar lines and colorful keyboards. This slow burner is an acoustic soft rock ballad with all the elements tuned in just right. Touching words, well structured melodies, and a lush instrumental palette with fantastic sounds and a steady, confident beat that keeps it all together rather beautifully. The album’s latest leg starts with more pop rock riffing on its lead single ‘Big Wave Dave’. A jubilant little rock tune with some joyful guitar work by the extremely efficient Gerry Leonard. The ascending parts that introduce ethereal vocal oohs are among the album’s most effective sonic tricks, and Leonard’s scruffy rock and roll solos in the middle and ending of ‘Big Wave Dave’ are among the album’s best. More strums on the upbeat can be found on the dramatic penultimate offering ‘Turning of the Tide’. Probably one of the album’s songs more inspired by the passing of Davison’s parents, this song’s words are about accepting inevitable change and accepting one’s miniscule role in the grand scheme of things. This profound song is slow and deliberate, with some of the album’s most distinctive keyboard sounds, an accordion-like instrument, and one of the album’s jangliest bass lines. An immediate showstopper placed this close to the album’s conclusion is proof that there’s no place for filler material on Dancing on the Edge.
After a dramatic ending with the title track, a pop rock cut with more memorable keyboard riffs and guitar ad libs, the album concludes with Davison’s exclaims that dancing on the edge of the world is where he knows he belongs. A conclusion full of acceptance and hope to an album that’s musically masterful. Nuke the Soup, Mark Davison and Co. were successful in displaying their talent and musicianship with such elegance and effortlessness on Dancing on the Edge, an album with not one dull moment or meaningless line. An album of varied and creative interplay of guitar, keyboards, and vocals, an album of elegant rhythms delivered neatly and without excess, an album of well structured and stylish songs that bridge the gap between grandiose statements and pure pop fun, and an album of terrific mixes executed by true professionals. Nuke the Soup’s Dancing on the Edge is bound to end up as one of the year’s finest and most cohesive studio offerings.