8/10

When he released his brilliant sophomore LP 'Gone Now' in 2017, Jack Antonoff was only just beginning to make his mark as a producer. With a number of high-profile notches on his belt, his progressive alt-pop sound was finally beginning to take shape and he was soon to ride a crest of buzz that would lead him to work with Lorde, Taylor Swift, St. Vincent and many more in the year's since. But not one to give up entirely on his own work, he has now revived his Bleachers project in the midst of his newfound acclaim to unveil the third studio album 'Take The Sadness Out Of Saturday Night', a record that continues his impressive streak to date.

There is no denying that 'Take The Sadness Out Of Saturday Night' is his most anticipated collection to date. Even ignoring his incredible production work over the last few years, this new release boasts guest appearances from Bruce Springsteen and Lana Del Rey. What more could you ask for in a stamp of approval? But what separates this full-length from his previous work is the rough and laid-back approach he gives to some of these tracks. While always looking for a fresh and vibrant direction throughout, some have this raw and spontaneous energy to them, a style that he has been pushing hard recently.

It almost feels like he wanted to create a more barebones album this time around, something with less fanfare and more focus on the organic instrumentation from start to finish. This gives 'Take The Sadness Out Of Saturday Night' a unique space on his repertoire to date, something that is both filled with superb songwriting but not looking to over-engineer itself with unnecessary eccentricities.