In between their full-length debut and, almost exactly three years later, second album
Access, Grand Rapids, Michigan's
Major Murphy added a fourth member (multi-instrumentalist Chad Houseman), and project leader
Jacob Bullard and bandmate Jacki Warren welcomed their first child. The couple's son features heavily on some of the songs here, including singles "Real" (which involves teaching him to breathe through his nose) and the '70s FM radio-friendly "In the Meantime" (inspired by a health scare). Musically, the album adheres to the more wistful end of classic rock influences, showcasing
Bullard's way with a moving melody while venturing into a more expansive, rock-oriented palette.
Access was recorded in Bloomington, Indiana, with
No. 1 (2018) co-producer
Mike Bridavsky along with
Ben Lumsdaine (
Kevin Krauter,
Mike Adams at His Honest Weight). The opening title track begins with a drumming eighth-note guitar pattern as
Bullard's warm, reflective vocals take stock of his world view, reaching the lines "What else can I say?/Yeah, I want to be part of it/Like every single day/There's a world that needs my loving" as drums reinforce the insistent rhythm. It relaxes into a steady, keyboard-accompanied rock groove as Warren joins in on vocal harmonies. The slow-brewing song continues to add layers, entering anthemic arena territory by the end ("I'm hoping the pieces align"). The somewhat prog rockier "Attention" adds vocal filters, guitar distortion, and glitchy computer sound effects to the mix, and, later, the druggy "Rainbow" pulls down the tempo without forsaking drum fills and ascending chord progressions. The album gravitates toward sweeter, slower songs on Side B, including the penultimate "Flower" ("Everything you do/Has a meaning that is true to you"), gradually winding down like a weekend back-porch hangout with friends. ~ Marcy Donelson