Passenger's 13th studio album, 2021's
Songs for the Drunk and Broken Hearted, finds singer/songwriter Mike Rosenberg drawing upon his varied pop influences while again showcasing his textured vocals and knack for yearning folk melodies. Recorded at his own Black Crow Studios in Brighton, England, the album arrives on the heels of his intimate 2020 acoustic LP Patchwork, which he recorded while in lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interestingly, Rosenberg actually recorded
Songs for the Drunk and Broken Hearted prior to Patchwork and in the wake of the end of a relationship. Consequently, there's a cathartic, soul-searching quality to the album that feels as if Rosenberg is working through his emotions over the breakup. The opening "Sword from a Stone," which he also included a different version of on Patchwork, seems to speak directly to his post-breakup state of mind. He sings, "How you feeling, sweetheart?/Are you moving on?/Are you sleeping okay/Or do the nights go on and on?/I hope you're eating well/I hope you're staying strong/'Cause I'm fine, then I'm not." However, while heartbreak is at the core of the album, the songs never get too depressing as Rosenberg strikes a balance between folky introspection and buoyant pop melodicism. Cuts like "Tip of My Tongue" and "Remember to Forget" have a classic folk-rock quality, bringing to mind the work of bands like
the Byrds and
Badfinger. Conversely, the minor-key arpeggios that kick off "What You're Waiting For" are prime '80s
Johnny Marr, evoking the guitarist's early work with
the Smiths. Equally evocative is the languid "London in Spring," a poignant chamber ballad, replete with strings and horns, that sounds like something
Donovan or
Harry Chapin might have recorded in the late '60s. With
Songs for the Drunk and Broken Hearted,
Passenger has crafted artful, hooky anthems that stick with you in the way the best pop songs often do. ~ Matt Collar