If their Southern-flavored Americana twang still has anyone doubting the Cactus Blossoms are from Minnesota, the sibling duo's newly announced 2024 album will offer a couple more pointers to their whereabouts.
Announced Thursday with an Aug. 30 release date — and with immediate presale options — "Every Time I Think About You" was recorded at one of Minneapolis' most storied studios, Creation Audio, and features cover art painted by one of Minnesota's best-known artists, George Morrison, a late pioneer in Native American modernism.
The Cactus Blossoms released not one but two songs off the record in conjunction with Thursday's announcement. They also confirmed a hometown release show Sept. 13 at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, tickets for which go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. via axs.com ($35).
Probably on purpose, the new tracks (posted below) display two distinct sides to the group.
"There She Goes" is a shuffling, up-tempo ditty that shows off the tight groove within the Cactus Blossoms' long-cemented live band, with brothers Jacob and Jeremy Hanson on guitar and drums, respectively, and bassist Phillip Hicks. The other song, the album's title track, is a gorgeously downbeat ballad that demonstrates brothers/bandleaders Page Burkum's and Jack Torrey's evolving songwriting prowess and their always-pristine vocal harmonies.
Despite the tunes' sonic variations, both of them sound like bad-breakup songs lyrically. Uh oh.
The band's fourth studio album, "Every Time I Think About You" was recorded with engineer Alex Hall, also known for his work with JD McPherson. Instead of going to Hall's studio in Chicago, the group had him come to Minneapolis to work at Creation, formerly known as Kay Bank Studio, where the Trashmen recorded "Surfin' Bird," the Replacements made "Tim," etc.
They didn't go far to find the album artwork, either: The Morrison painting featured on the cover, "Spirit Path. New Day. Red Rock Variation: Lake Superior Landscape," is part of the collection at St. Paul's Minnesota Museum of American Art.
The CBs are playing a few sporadic Midwest gigs this summer ahead of the album's release, including a July 27 date with the Gear Daddies, BoDeans and GB Leighton outside Treasure Island Casino near Red Wing. After the release, they're heading out on tour, including a big push for the LP at Nashville's Americana Music Festival.
