Forever Night

With collaborators such as Anna St. Louis and Hand Habits Meg Duffy returning from the projects full-length debut, In the Break, Flat Worms drummer Justin Sullivan (formerly of the Babies and Kevin Morbys backing band) recommits to a reflective, affectionate mix of retro-rock and Dylan-descended indie folk-rock on his Night Shop follow-up, Forever Night. It finds him joined by additional personnel including Spoon keyboardist/guitarist Alex Fischel, Pet Symmetrys Evan Weiss, and Mirror Travel drummer Tiffanie Lanmon. Lending unneeded further indie cred to the project, Woods Jarvis Taveniere co-produced the album with Sullivan. Split between livelier tracks with driving rhythms and slower mediations, one of the albums more memorable examples of the latter, "For a While," is a swaying duet with singer/songwriter Jess Williamson that examines what it means to feel at home. A tangible sense of belonging and location is another returning feature here, with Sullivan taking in crowded music venues and all-night restaurants, then flicking on old noir films back at home. Meanwhile, some of the tracks sport titles like "Pensacola, Florida," "Slow Dancing at the Wax Museum," and "At the Opera," a song that takes the form of a reverb-heavy dream rock. While Duffy plays bass on several songs, Hand Habits is officially featured on the more nostalgia-minded "Just to Get Home," an organ-accompanied waltz that updates the 50s prom slow dance. Alternately, "Let Me Let It Go" picks up the tempo for a horn-injected rock & roller that begs listeners to roll down the windows and crank up the volume. Forever Night doesnt really cover new territory, but that can be welcome for a project that emerged with well-defined influences and engaging songs out of the gate, and with the right amount of tunefulness, vulnerability, and feel-good spirit to encourage repeat listens. ~ Marcy Donelson