Just 20 seconds into the new Phosphorescent album, you hear something so immediate, so purposeful, so damn infectious, it's clear that something special is underway. The first album of original material since 2007's Pride captures the band moving into a truly extraordinary place. Here's to Taking It Easy is the culmination of the past three years: a grand statement, the album we dreamed Phosphorescent would make. Pride was a deeply personal, haunting record that Phosphorescent's Matthew Houck recorded on his own, playing all of the instruments himself. 2009's To Willie (their tribute to Willie Nelson) featured Houck joined by his bandmates, rambling through the Nelson catalog with fifths of whiskey and undeniable swagger. So if Pride was built for 5AM and To Willie sounded just right as last call approached, where does Here's To Taking It Easy fit? This is the Phosphorescent record made for any time, any season.
