Texas – Jump on Board
After nearly thirty years in the biz, Texas' ninth album Jump on Board finds the Glaswegian pop titans in a reflexive mood. Love, loss, regret and forgiveness have long been the stuff of rock'n'roll, but this polished, warm-hearted record pulls together a cross-section of the band's favourite genres to provide catchy takes on those well-worn narratives.
Downbeat ballad For Everything sees Sharleen Spiteri ruminate 'For everything I've done, for everything I didn't do / For everything I've become, it's all down to you,' as a backdrop of gospel oohs and keyboard slides make a case for the value of retrospective. 'Now that I'm old, I have a peaceful mind,' she sings, and convincingly, too. 'Peaceful' isn't an adjective that's often used to describe a band infamous for noisily calling out bullshit, but there's a tenderness to Jump on Board that proves Texas don't need bravado.
It Was up to You uses a subtle disco beat and a funky, spacey guitar to demand that a partner pulls their weight, while pop-rock party starter Tell That Girl deploys a plot twist as it urges the protagonist to head out into the city's lights and end a relationship that's grown cold.
The video for flagship track Let's Work It Out, with its 'Life's too short' refrain, stars their pal Thierry Henry chauffeuring Spiteri in a seriously glam car. Perhaps it's an homage to the late, great Alan Rickman's driving, dancing role in '00s single In Demand, perhaps not, but it's a worthy reminder of Texas' star power and single-crafting nous.
Sending A Message brings dust-bowl americana for an ominous, husky number that serves atmosphere rather than pop climax. Great Romances has a bounce that's reminiscent of Glasgow's TeenCanteen, and Midnight conjures witching hour nostalgia. However, it's not until the record's final track Round the World that the band look to the future: 'We can go places we've never been,' Spiteri promises. With a huge tour just announced – including a date performing for Barack Obama (!) in the summer – there are plenty more firsts penned on Texas' calendar.