What I love about this album is that the songs sound fresh and new and interesting, all while sounding undeniably like STP. It doesn’t feel like it doesn’t belong. It definitely feels like an STP album, but they are not just rehashing the past; it feels like they are still evolving. It’s less of a reintroduction and more of a continuation with some adjustments.
If I can think of any criticism for Butterfly, it’s that maybe they are playing it a bit safe. However, as Shane said, I think the next album will be even better. Now that they’ve got this first effort with Jeff out, I think they will start to let loose more and let the creativity flow on the next one. That’s when they write really interesting tunes like Atlanta, Hello It’s Late, and much of Tiny Music.
The quality level is there on Butterfly though. It is just a high-quality rock album, and it flows really well from start to finish. I love listening to it while driving and just sitting at home with headphones.
One interesting thing I noticed: many of the guitar riffs are single-note riffs and there are less power chords. This is not a surprise, as Dean has been gradually moving this direction over time. But what’s interesting is that the album art kinda reflects this — with the Butterfly artwork being drawn with outlines instead of filled in. The riffs still sound like STP but this is just a minor evolution in their sound, making it even more Zeppelinesque in a way. I wonder how much of this was a conscious decision by Dean and/or the band, or whether the riffs they were writing just naturally and subconsciously gravitated in that direction. Either way, I suspect the way the Butterfly is drawn in outlines is an acknowledgement of this evolution of STP’s style. They have always left little cryptic hints and messages in not just the music but in other formats of their work, and I believe this is no different. (Don’t get me started on the elements theory!)
