Day 24. The last new song that you heard that you really liked:

“New Constellation” — Toad The Wet Sprocket

For those who don’t know, Toad is back. They are the latest in a long list of bands that broke up a long time ago, and then the members (or a specific member) figured out that there was something about the band dynamic they missed. Which is good because I was never really impressed with lead singer Glen Phillips’ solo work.

I heard the news a few months back. Their web site had a link to the title track from the new album (which, at the time, wasn’t released). I listened to it and immediately liked it. And not just because I’m a Toad fan. “New Constellation” (the song) is a catchy, uptempo number (possibly their most uptempo ever, but I could be wrong) that grabs you from the opening notes. Or it did me, anyway.

New Constellation (the album) sounds like Toad but has some fresh spins. It’s identifiably Toad. They didn’t go crazy and try to redefine their sound, but it’s not just a retread of old material, either. More than a few of the songs wouldn’t fit on any previous album. And that’s what you’re looking for from an album. Unless it’s an AC/DC album, in which case you’re looking for a slightly different spin on what they’ve done for four decades. (And, no, I have nothing against AC/DC, as you’ll see in a few days.)

That’s all I got today.