Street Corner Symphony
Jukebox - Single (2022)
Review By Kyle Yampiro
July 14, 2022
Ordering Information
Jukebox streams on these platforms.
Even the name Street Corner Symphony evokes a nostalgia for a bygone era when a cappella performances were featured on primetime television. And if you have even a single nostalgic cell in your body, Jukebox is just the song for you.
Jukebox is not reinventing harmony, melody, or the a cappella convention, but that's hardly the point. The genius of this song is not in its first listen but its fiftieth, and the fact that it is easily inserted onto any "good vibes" playlist and repeated ad nauseam with pleasure.
Strains of Twist and Shout and a Motown-inspired, highly-singable bass line characterize the musical quality of this Kaleb Jones and Armand Hutton-penned tune, which might as well have premiered on a jukebox. Delightfully light, the Boomer-esque lyrics link generational gaps such as, "what is an iPod?". These are peppered through the refrains of a song that, perhaps uncoincidentally, was released just a week after the iPod was retired (RIP). Percussive claps, punctuated shouts, great panning choices in the verses, and an organic-sounding vocal interlude that returns in the last chorus are but sweeteners to this no-frills jam.
A cappella fans, if you like joy, I think I've found the summer song for you. Enjoy at the beach with a cocktail and listen responsibly. Bonus points if you listen on a jukebox. (Or an iPod.)