There are some albums where you can tell pretty quickly that the people making them were having a genuinely good time. World Famous Pets is one of those records.
The first thing that’s hard to ignore is just how stacked this band is. World Famous Pets was formed by vocalist Edie Brickell, legendary drummer Matt Chamberlain, bassist Kaveh Rastegar, and guitarist Mason Stoops. Between them, they’ve worked with artists like David Bowie, Pearl Jam, Sting, John Legend, Jackson Browne, and Mumford & Sons. That is one incredibly impressive résumé for one band, and thankfully, the music lives up to the hype.
The upcoming self-titled album has a really easygoing energy to it. It’s the kind of record you can throw on and just enjoy it. The musicianship is obviously there, but it never feels like the band is trying to show off. Everything feels natural, which honestly makes the songs even more enjoyable.
That’s probably what I like most about World Famous Pets. There’s a lot of personality here. The album is really fun, and alive, and there are plenty of moments that make you want to hit replay. It has a really beautiful polished sound to it that I just love.
And with musicians this accomplished, it would have been easy for the album to feel like a collection of impressive résumés. Instead, it actually feels like a band. You can hear the chemistry between Brickell, Chamberlain, Rastegar, and Stoops, and that chemistry is a big part of what makes the record work.
At the end of the day, World Famous Pets is just a really enjoyable album. It’s catchy, relaxed, full of personality, and backed by four musicians who clearly know what they’re doing. More importantly, it sounds like they’re having fun doing it. And honestly, that comes through in the music.
