By: John Mabery
Rating: 9/11

Combining elements of rock, jazz, and classical into a parable that reads more like a musical than a concept album, Parachute Musical’s Everything Is Working Out Fine In Some Town (2008) tells a tale of the past four years in the life of principle songwriter/vocalist/pianist Josh Foster, who traveled the country to escape several fractured relationships with family members and a fiancé.  The reason Everything Is Working Out works on so many levels is because of how relatable it all seems, from the feeling of disillusionment presented in “College Degree” to the nostalgia of “Flashback ’83.”

Fortunately, Musical manages to maintain an upbeat mood throughout, even while dealing with such weighty subject matter – something that is reflected in the blind optimism of the title, or seen in the standout tracks “Leave Me” and “One More Song.”  One can’t help but feel as though Foster and company have hope there must be some kind of American utopia out there everyone longs to escape to, which, despite the fact a lot of their lyrics present a defeatist outlook, Musical never seem to lose sight of.

It will be a lot of fun to see how this band matures, though it seems like it will take a true classic and a lot of alignment of the planets for them to better such an offering as this.  But Everything Is Working Out Fine In Some Town is a wholly enjoyable experience regardless, making Parachute Musical a group to be on the look out for.