The Bright Light Social Hour Display Spellbinding Style on Jude Vol. 1

Cosmic soul rock band The Bright Light Social Hour recently dropped their new full length album Jude Vol. 1 on Feb. 1, 2019 (listen below).

This is the Austin-based quartet’s third LP — their first since 2015’s Space is Still the Place. Making the new album was a healing and cathartic process for the band. They were writing it while their former manager, Alex O’Brien, who’s also the brother of vocalist/bassist Jackie O’Brien, committed suicide following a long battle with bipolar disorder.

Jackie reflected, saying, “It was a terrible thing, but it was also the most beautiful thing I’ve ever experienced and probably will ever experience. This was all happening as we started the record. Not all the songs are about Alex, but I think even the ones that aren’t all have a bittersweet mix of overwhelming beauty and terrible loss. The music deals with the ripples it caused in all of our lives, especially in our relationships, with an underlying theme of trying to wrap our heads around all of this.”

Glide Magazine reviewed the album saying it’s a “ground-breaking record that incorporates elements of Kraut-rock, Afrobeat, electronica, rock, blues, and even a little funk, creating a gorgeous sonic tapestry that highlights the group’s considerable musical talent.”

The Bright Light Social Hour has played in Missoula a few times before, opening for Galactic & Dr. Dog at The Wilma, but we’re excited to see them headline an intimate club concert at the Top Hat on FridayMarch 29, 2019. Details here.