Guitarist Drew Zingg (Boz Scaggs) and trumpeter Michael Leonhart (Steely Dan) have guested on previous albums and make tasteful contributions here, as does Snarky Puppy guitarist Mark Lettieri. If youвЂ™re thinking of Friday on a compass, it has moved a few degrees towards R&B, soul and blues as opposed to some songs on earlier albums that were more poppy or Beatles-derived.вЂќДЄs has become the norm on Monkey House records, Friday features some notable guests. It still sounds like Monkey House, but itвЂ™s fun to stir in a couple of extra ingredients each time and see how they mix in. вЂњA couple of songs here show more of an вЂ™80s influence from bands like The Police and XTC. When you have a rhythm going, it gives everything momentum.вЂќ With this one, I was often looping rhythms and playing along with grooves, even on the first day of writing. For the last album, I made a concerted effort to write each song at the piano. Don terms Friday вЂњan album that may be more rhythmically-based than any of the previous ones. The generous 12-song collection certainly does sound cohesive, while possessing enough musical twists and turns to keep things interesting. When they are coming from multiple sources, itвЂ™s harder to make them all feel integrated.вЂќ He explains that the stress on solo compositions on Friday вЂњhad to do with getting songs that felt like they belonged together. вЂњI thought itвЂ™d be a nice gesture to do one of his.вЂќД«reithaupt is a prolific songwriter who collaborates regularly with such acclaimed songsmiths as Marc Jordan, Jay Graydon, and (his NYC-based brother) Jeff Breithaupt. вЂњAs a lifelong Steely Dan fan, WalterвЂ™s death hit me hard,вЂќ says Don. He co-wrote вЂњSay It For The Last Time,вЂќ with Chris Smith (ex-Regatta) and Guido Luciani, while вЂњBook Of LiarsвЂќ is a cover of a song by Steely DanвЂ™s Walter Becker.

Cardinali also plays bass on four tracks.ДЄll but two of the tracks on Friday are solo Don Breithaupt compositions. I can play to their strengths, I can take a polaroid of something in my studio and have a pretty good idea of how itвЂ™ll pan out when the band sinks its teeth into it.вЂќДЄlso contributing prominently to Friday is the elite Toronto horn section of William Sperandei, Vern Dorge, John Johnson, William Carn and Tony Carlucci, as well as percussionist Art Avalos.ДЄdding to the comfort level in the studio for the recording of Friday was the return of the team of co-producer Peter Cardinali and engineer John вЂBeetleвЂ™ Bailey, reprising their roles from previous Monkey House records. Monkey House founder Breithaupt explains: вЂњBecause IвЂ™ve been working with Justin, Pat and Mark for so long, I have such a good feel for what they do well.

That rare longevity has resulted in an invaluable empathy in the musical interactions of the core members: singer/songwriter/keyboardist Don Breithaupt, drummer Mark Kelso, bassist Pat Kilbride, and guitarist Justin Abedin. It is the fifth full-length release from the L.A./Toronto combo that has just celebrated the notable milestone of 25 years of playing together. Those characteristics are again evident on Friday, set for release on ALMA Records July 26, 2019. Sophisticated musicianship, imaginative lyrics, and a flair for melody are signatures of the sound of Monkey House, a sound that has earned the group serious critical acclaim, peer respect, and a steadily expanding international following.

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