Here’s what I wrote about Private Lives’ 2023 debut album, the cockily titled Hit Record:

“It’s like [Private Lives] are on a constant quest to find the sweet spot between pop catchiness, punk attitude, and getting sprayed with cold water on the hottest days of summer.”

Well, that certainly applies to their new album Salt of the Earth as well—what a fun, fun, fun record this is! It’s like ’60s AM radio collided with a hotrod packed with classic punk and garage rock records. The deceptively straightforward and uncomplicated instrumentation makes for an easy listen, letting Jackie Blenkarn’s vocals shine.

Private Lives (featuring members of Pale Lips, Sonic Avenues, Priors and Plastic Act) are the kind of band where you don’t need to know any of their songs to enjoy their live shows—this is good-time music! But if the songwriting wasn’t so sneakily great, I could see myself losing interest quickly. Private Lives walk a fine line, yet they always land on the right side, delivering their songs with conviction, energy, and a love for rock’n’roll that pulses like a heartbeat through the album.

Private Lives are Jackie Blenkarn, Chance Hutchison, Josh Herlihey, and Drew Demers. Salt of the Earth is out now on Feel It Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Feel It Records