Shufflemania

Returning after a five-year studio hiatus (ages in the Hitchcock discography), the esteemed sorcerer of pop surrealism delivers a more than worthy successor to his acclaimed 2017 self-titled effort. Shufflemania is, as its creator blithely attests, "a party record, with a few solemn moments, as parties are wont to supply." Its an apt description, as the ten-song set is comprised primarily of dazzling power pop bangers ("Shuffle Man," "The Raging Muse," "The Sir Tommy Shovell" [the name of a very Hitchcockian pub]) and spare, moving ruminations on death and oblivion ("Socrates in Thin Air," "One Day [Its Being Scheduled]." Its typical fare for the new septuagenarian, but what sets Shufflemania apart from its predecessor is the nervy energy that crackles beneath, above, and around it. Part of that wildness may stem from the fact that it was written and recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic and pieced together in multiple locations. Despite all that, and a teeming guest list that includes Johnny Marr, Brendan Benson, Sean Ono Lennon, Kelly Stoltz, and Soft Boys alumnus Kimberley Rew and Morris Windsor, among others, Shufflemania is Hitchcocks tightest and most potent outing in years. Chime-like telecasters abound, as do clever couplets concerning cheese, flora, fauna, and jam, but Hitchcock is a master at ripping profundity from the jaws of absurdity. "Respect the dead; youll be joining them soon," he announces on the seductive "Man Who Loves the Rain." Its an unusually forthright statement from an artist for whom obfuscation and toss-away rhymes have routinely served as the frontline for battling insecurity and existential dread. ~ James Christopher Monger