Katy Lied

 

    More good jazz-rock from Steely Dan and some blues thrown in in the first half on Katy Lied. The band, at this point primarily a duo between Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, continues the excellent output of tightly composed and well performed jazz fusion that the first three albums established. Katy Lied is able to provide more of this style while refining it further and adding enough variety for it all to feel fresh, especially after Pretzel Logic's experimentation. The composition in the instrumentation and especially with the various solos are still great here and really get across whatever mood each song is going for, be that jazzy, blues, or whatever else. The lyricism, which I normally greatly enjoy in SD's works, is a little lacking in places/perhaps a little too vague to where I had trouble grasping onto a songs meaning from the lyrics. Not a big issue as I still think that they're good overall, but thought I'd mention it since it stood out to me a little. The structure of the album feels good to me; the flow feels very deliberate and gives the progression a natural feeling of going along it's specific path. At the time of writing I've really been on a Steely Dan kick and this album is a great continuation of where the band left off and has more excited for what's to come.

    Highlights: Bad Sneakers, Doctor Wu, Your Gold Teeth II, Throw Back the Little Ones.

Rating: 5/6