In the five year stretch since the last album release from Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties, much has changed in our modern world and musical landscape. A burning desire for live music, however, remains stronger than ever.
The music video for the band’s latest single — and title track to their next album, In Lieu of Flowers — builds anticipation for the group’s return, beginning with shots of backstage preparation for a performance at Philadelphia’s own Fillmore concert venue in Fishtown. The song is a truly bombastic return, filled with booming drums and soaring horns. Central to the song and the band itself is the voice of Dan Campbell, the Philadelphia singer-songwriter who also fronts The Wonder Years. Previous Aaron West projects have utilized guitar, accordion, pedal steels, and a horn section to tell imaginative, poignant stories of love and loss. The band’s sound is both anthemic and personal, reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen, Bright Eyes, and The Hold Steady.
In Lieu of Flowers which will be released on April 12th through Hopeless Records. The band will perform an album release show in Asbury Park, New Jersey on April 11th and will also live stream the show for all fans who pre-order the album now. This first single marks a triumphant return for the now-16-piece band after an extended hiatus — the expanded lineup features the additional players like Mike “Slo-Mo” Brenner on lap steel — and the upcoming album promises to bring fans more awe-inspiring, instrumentally eclectic Americana-inspired tracks.
Listen to “In Lieu of Flowers” below and get details and information on the Asbury Park show at WXPN’s Concert Calendar.