Lit - Tastes Like Gold [VINYL]

Now, the quartet—brothers Ajay [vocals] and Jeremy Popoff [guitar], Kevin Baldes [bass], and Taylor Carroll [drums]—continue to do what they do best on their seventh full-length album and 2022 debut for Round Hill Records, Tastes Like Gold. “We made a conscious decision to go back to when we had arrived at what we represented musically,” says Ajay. “It took a little bit of time to cleanse the palette and hit reset. However, the creativity flowed better than it had in the past couple of decades.” “We just decided to make what people expect from Lit and, honestly, what we expect from Lit,” exclaims Jeremy. “Our fans have been very cool and gracious over the years. They’ve allowed us to grow, change, morph, and explore. At the end of the day though, Lit means something to people, and we wanted to get back to that. Once the lockdowns happened, it was even more difficult to go back to that place when we were in our early twenties in an Anaheim warehouse with cases of cheap beer and friends without a care in the world other than the next show. While everybody reevaluated the whole world, we tried to make a really fun rock ‘n’ roll record.” So, that’s what they did… By the time the Global Pandemic hit, the Popoff brothers had both traded Sunny Southern California for Music City, even hitching ride on Jamey Johnson’s tour bus to Nashville. They hit the studio with cowriters and co-producers Carlo Colasacco and Eric Paquette, re-energizing and reinvigorating their sound. “Those two had a big role in relighting the Lit torch,” says Kevin. “Our drummer Taylor is a monster too, and a big part of the energy of this record. ” “They are younger dudes that grew up big Lit fans,” Jeremy goes on. “So, as we inspired them along the way, they inspired us with their modern and fresh approach to making music. We stripped it back down to the basics, and they gave us a new school energy actually inspired by what we’re known for. We focused on what Lit means to people, what it means to us, and embraced who we are. Even though we’re older and wiser now, we still love the same things we’ve always loved. Right out of the gate, we said, ‘We‘re not talking about viruses, politics, or any of that shit’. We still have a great time, party, and make music that sounds better loud.” That’s definitely the case with the first single “Kicked Off The Plane.” The head-nodding beat and palm-muted riff underline a real-life recollection of a recent instance when the dudes were unceremoniously booted from a flight for nursing something else other than water in coffee cups…The chantable refrain instantly captivates as Ajay asks, “What’s one more walk of shame?” “When we first started out, it took a lot to get kicked off a plane,” the front man grins. “Last year, our flight kept getting delayed, so we kept drinking. Once we got on the plane, a flight attendant asked our very honest sound guy what was in his cup. We were thrown off! It’s similar to ‘My Own Worst Enemy’ lyrically, beca