Toadies - Play Rock Music

So its been 23 years since the Toadies started playing rock music in Fort Worth, Texas. Through lineup changes, shelved albums, member departures, band break-ups, one-off reunions and full-on performances, Toadies are an act that has experienced nearly everything except, perhaps, the freedom to grow as they choose.

But with the release their fifth proper full-length album, now reissued on vinyl, a disc fittingly called Play.Rock.Music., for the first time in their career the band felt capable of unapologetically doing just that.

The songs on Play.Rock.Music. are some of the best the Toadies have ever released. The trademarks of the band are all present: Lewis' howl, the chugging guitars, the unrepentant angst — but they're also improved upon. Without question. With the band's second successful stint now having lasted almost as long as the initial run, Play.Rock.Music. shows off a band in full stride, an outfit with renewed vigor and, perhaps most important, a group with a clear and confident understanding of itself.