It’s no secret Jukebox the Ghost is one of my favorite bands. Let Live And Let Ghosts was a stunning debut and they avoided the dreaded sophomore slump with the release of Everything Under the Sun. Combine their clever musical genius with an apparent love of touring and I kinda feel … spoiled. Jukebox’s dedication to performance has earned a healthy and loyal fanbase – goodbye to tiny house parties/music venues, hello to sold out shows at House of Blues and The Granada Theater. And that’s just Dallas. Judging by their popularity here, the band has no doubt reached cult status in their hometown (D.C.) and other cities along the east coast. So, I feel a little bit spoiled and maybe a tiny bit anxious. After all, the higher the pedestal the greater the fall, right?

Maybe, maybe not. Word on the street is the band suffered a number of personal losses recently, the sort that would make anyone throw in the towel. Instead of allowing pain to derail their dreams, Jukebox the Ghost used it to make something hopeful, thoughtful and healing: album three, Safe Travels. In an interview with Consequence of Sound, pianist Ben Thornewill summarized the album’s core concept: “It’s the safe travels of death, but it’s also the idea of traveling safe, since we’re always in new cities.”

Safe Travels is full of the same musical delights we’ve grown to love and expect from Jukebox the Ghost, but the content is more poignant and relevant than ever before. Dive deep because you won’t want to miss these tender lyrics. A perfect example is the upbeat but wistful single, “Somebody.”

It doesn’t seem like I have anything to worry about – Jukebox the Ghost won’t be falling from grace anytime soon.