Justin Sullivan’s beloved project Night Shop has returned with The Beloved Returns. This album is his third full-length and a worthy solo realization of his work to date. Sullivan is best known as the drummer in Flat Worms, Kevin Morby, and The Babies, and The Beloved Returns is an affirmed look at his own musical vision, highlighting his creative artistry and evolution beyond the aforementioned bands. In his new album, Sullivan confidently belts out catchy new hooks and choruses that stay with you long after the first listen. The music paints a picture on its own, mirroring the intensity of the album’s themes of desire and obsession.
“Ode to Joy II” starts the album with a large dose of energy, yet it doesn’t lose its emotional depth. After a few listens, it takes on the role of a singalong tune while keeping its message. “Let Me Be The Lamb” builds on this momentum, with a chorus that grows in emotional intensity: “Let me be the lamb, and that’s how I’ll go out.” The agency Sullivan belts out in accepting the fate of being a sacrifice is both haunting and resolute, painting an emotional journey that intertwines vulnerability with strength.
“Too Late Too Late” slowly grows in its sound, as Sullivan makes the realization of his fate in the chorus, “too late, too late, I must let go.” It’s a surrender to the inevitability of letting go, as sings of grappling with the emotional toll of disillusionment and unfulfilled relationships. Next comes “Once Bitten, Twice Bored,” with a subtle new-wave sound that fits seamlessly within the album’s context. The song’s descriptive lyrics reflect a continuation of the growing acceptance towards the reality of the situation: “all the same, I want you anyway.” The shift halfway through the song places Sullivan front and center, belting out lyrics in an emotional release of sorts.
“I Loved You From The Moment I Saw You” has an air of uplifting familiarity, providing an intermission between two songs with higher energy. Producer Jessica Bourdeaux (Summer Cannibals) joins the track supplying backing vocals. The title track “The Beloved Returns” is inspired by the Goethe novel titled Lotte in Weimar: The Beloved Returns. The fictional novel is about a woman reflecting on her youthful romance with Goethe, using the perspectives of those around her intertwining with her own to offer an insightful exploration of memory, fame, and human connection. The track rolls along, catching the harmonizations of Bourdeaux’s backing vocalists which give the song somewhat of a frantic feel (totally understandable, considering the accompanied imagery of rats and roaches running into the sea).
“Sidelined” has a brighter indie-rock sound, it’s about the complete acceptance of a defeat when you know you’ve deserved the outcome: “I sowed the seeds of my own self-destruction and downfall.” The full ownership examined in the chanted chorus “sidelined!” gives a fun spin to this sobering realization. “Thought In The Dark” puts another positive spin on learning harsh truths. This song emphasizes the freedom that knowledge can bring, the acknowledgement that at least you can sleep easy knowing there’s no unanswered questions.
Towards the end of the album we are met with slow-jam adjacent “Capitol Gardens”. While it initially comes across as a love song, the lyrics unravel a deeper narrative – one of a relationship vulnerable to external pressures despite appearing perfect. “Good Intentions” closes out The Beloved Returns as an anthem of accepting fate. In the hook of the song, Sullivan emphasizes that actions speak louder than words, and good intentions don’t make up for harsh decisions. The Beloved Returns stands as a testament to Justin Sullivan’s artistic evolution, delivering a deeply introspective and musically rich journey that takes on themes of vulnerability, acceptance, and personal growth.
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