Puddle Of Mudd – Welcome To Galvania

Release date: September 13, 2019 via Pavement Entertainment

6 September 2019

It’s been ten years since Puddle Of Mudd has release a full length album of original material.  2009’s Volume 4: Songs in the Key of Love & Hate, while not the commercial success of some of their former albums, was a damn good record.  The thing is, it wasn’t a dud commercially, though.  Selling a couple hundred thousand albums is a huge feat.  It’s just hard to quantify when you’ve sold millions of albums one of which is a 3X Platinum record (Come Clean).

If you are asking yourself, “but was it worth the wait?”, the answer is yes.  I cannot predict what sales will look like for Welcome To Galvania, especially in today’s music climate where music is consumed via streaming so much that artists have started to rely on these sources of income as a big piece of their song revenue pie.  I will tell you that all things being equal, this should do big business.  It’s already one of my favorite POM albums in their discography.

The album starts with that signature POM guitar tone and power on You Don’t Know and sounds like it could’ve came straight off of the Come Clean album.  It was the perfect song to open the album.  The second song, Uh-Oh, is one of the most no-brainer singles ever.  Singer and front man, Wes Scantlin, has a knack for writing catchy and singable songs.  If he were a T.V. writer, it’s almost like he would be the go-to-guy if you needed a catch phrase.  Ok – I’m reaching but hopefully you get what I laying down here.

Song three kills me.  Go To Hell, is one part melodic, one part bitchin’, one part obnoxious – making for one hell of a song.  Drummer Dave Moreno’s shuffle on the first verse of this song defines what “being in the pocket” sounds like.  The guitar movement on the main riff is special especially when you combine it with the half time tempo.  Wes’ drawn out “hell’s” – well, you’ll either love them or hate them.  I love them.

Let’s get to my personal favorite – Diseased Almost.  On our music industry podcast where I interviewed Wes and talked about the new record, I broke down my top ten favorite Puddle Of Mudd songs but withheld adding any of the new songs on it.  Diseased Almost will absolutely be on the list going forward.  The main guitar hook gets you moving right away and the wah effect was a great piece of musical production.  During the verses the song retains the same full time tempo but the guitar slows down enough to let it breath and you get some very cool vocal harmonies.  But then the chorus.  That chorus.  I feel like it has a place somewhere on my favorite POM record (Life On Display).  It crushes.  If you listen to any song on this album, make sure you check this one out.

Earlier I mentioned Wes having a knack of writing catchy songs.  Another part of Scantlin’s game that is underrated is his ability to write songs that don’t always punch you in the throat.  Seems like every album they put out, they have a song or two that could be almost ballad-esque, without being a ballad.  Songs like Thinking About You, We Don’t Have To Look Back Now and Spin You Around all fall into this mold.  On this album, My Kind Of Crazy, is that song.  There’s some great songwriting here and has one of my favorite lines: “You always ask me to go, turn around and beg me to stay.  You don’t which way is up.  And I know, you’re my runaway train.”

Taking it a step further, I think what impresses me most about Scantlin’s songwriting are his songs that fall in between the pure adrenaline rock songs and ballad-ish tracks.  Again, he has a few of these every album.  The introspective-almost-serious songs.  I’m talking Moonshine, Piss It All Away and Drift and Die.  To add to that list are two incredible songs from Welcome To Galvania.  Time Of Our Lives and Just Tell Me.  When I’m not in that pure rock mode, these are the two songs I go to.  Especially if I’m taking a long trip and want to loose myself in some music.  Another special part about these are on a song like Time Of Our Lives, Michael John Adams’ bass guitar really comes to life and you get to hear all of the things he does on the song.  It can get lost sometimes but only because it’s all just so very smooth.  

Do not fear, rock fans.  This album is not done rocking out.  Two songs on the second half will satisfy your craving for thick guitar riffs and chugging bliss.  Sunshine has the thick riff covered and is classic POM.  Kiss It All Goodbye will definitely set your air guitar chug-along, in motion.

The last new song on the album is Slide Away, before we get a clean version of Uh-Oh.  Slide Away has a dark and somber acoustic guitar to start what is a thought provoking, lyrical jaunt.  Laying over those acoustic is some really great work high up on the fret board from guitarist, Matt Fuller.  Really colors up the song.

Puddle Of Mudd has produced album that is not only a worthwhile listen, but I think positions them to bring back longtime fans and attract new listeners as well.

Welcome To Galvania

1. You Don’t Know
2. Uh Oh
3. Go to Hell
4. Diseased Almost
5. My Kind of Crazy
6. Time of Our Lives
7. Sunshine
8. Just Tell Me
9. Kiss It All Goodbye
10. Slide Away
11. Uh Oh (Come Clean Version)

-Tommy Marz

You can follow Tommy on Twitter and let him know what you think.

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