Trixie Mattel- The Blonde & Pink Albums
Label: PEG
Producers: Ashley Levy, Nick Goldston, Tomas Costanza
Trixie Mattel has been vying for full-on world domination in the years that have followed her 2018 win of RuPaul’s Drag Race: All-Stars, with a career that has taken on seemingly endless facets. The fact that she’s managed to build such an impeccably strong catalog of music in the midst of all her other ventures is nothing short of astounding. The release of this double LP feels like the culmination of something that’s been slowly building over the course of her first three albums, which began deeply rooted in country and folk with increasing pivots to sunny power-pop and New Wave along the way. Opening track, “Goner” blends all those styles splendidly and previews what overall is a joyous amalgamation of it all. Much of this sounds like a glorious throwback to the pop radio dial of the 60s, with tracks like the surfy “Hello Hello”, the trippy “Love You In Hi-Fi”, and the doo-wop of “Boyfriend” feeling like lost oldies and fresh creations all the same. She also remembers her diverse influences in a multitude of entertaining ways. She pays tribute to Loretta Lynn in a power-pop shuffle of all things, slips into a faithful cover of Cheap Trick on “I Want You To Want Me”, and then beautifully transforms The Go-Go’s classic “Vacation” into tearful breakup ballad. Finally, two collaborative visits on the project’s most in-tune moments with Mattel’s folk roots prove to be the perennial pillars that bind the entire set together in a cohesive package wholly representative of the singer’s entire repertoire. The first, “White Rabbit” with Michelle Branch is a delightfully breezy performance worthy of mega-airplay, while “This Town” with Shakey Graves comprises one of Mattel’s most moving tracks to date, as the two navigate through the trouble small-town stories that filled Trixie’s childhood. The Blonde & Pink Albums is undoubtedly Trixie Mattel’s most fully-realized release to date, and serves as a promising sign of where she’ll continue to adventure musically. She remains one of the best kept secrets in pop, country and Americana.
Track Listing:
- “Goner” (Brian Firkus)
- “Boyfriend (Firkus, Ashley Levy, Tomas Costanza)
- “C’mon Loretta” (Firkus, Levy, Costanza)
- “Love You In HiFi” (Firkus, Levy, Costanza)
- “Hello Hello” (Firkus, Levy, Costanza)
- “I Want You To Want Me” (Rick Nielsen)
- “New Thing” (Firkus, Levy, Costanza)
- “White Rabbit” featuring Michelle Branch (Firkus, Nick Goldston)
- “Stay the Night” (Firkus, Levy, Costanza)
- “Who Loves You Baby” (Firkus)
- “Girl of Your Dreams” (Firkus, Levy, Costanza)
- “Wake Up” (Firkus, Goldston)
- “This Town” featuring Shakey Graves (Firkus)
- “Vacation” (Charlotte Caffey, Kathy Valentine, Jane Wiedlin)
The 706 
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