Candlebox announced their retirement after 30 years in 2023 and released their final studio album in the summer of 2023, The Long Goodbye. The guys will be heading out on the road for the “Loaded: The Greatest Hits Tour” with Bush and Jerry Cantrell in July, and they’re releasing A Little Longer Goodbye album from their tour.
To me, this is like the post script in their goodbye letter. The album contains songs from their final album in both studio and live formats, and it has additional songs not on their last album. A few tracks are available only on their deluxe album (Who You Are, Running With The Stars), but they are unveiling their newest single, “Washed Up.”
“Washed Up” is the final track on this album. It begins with a 1:20 intro, first with a slow rhythmic beat, then a slow, growing melody. This is the best possible song to end the album to me, giving me the feeling of a final romp in the studio before saying goodbye. In the chorus, Kevin belts out “Still standing on the shore, let’s see what washes up.” With their sort of return with this new release, instead of a goodbye, it sounds like a “maybe” for fans.
When The Long Goodbye came out in 2023, it was bittersweet to listen to knowing it was their final album, but the heart behind it was felt and it was a beautiful love letter to fans for the last 30 years. With A Little Longer Goodbye coming out in conjunction with Bush’s Loaded: Greatest Hits tour, this feels like maybe Candlebox is not yet ready to hang up the mic for good.
When they first announced their retirement in 2023, vocalist Kevin Martin was candid that COVID brought the realization that his family needed him home more and he had missed out on a lot with the band. While I 100% support that and understand that, hopefully this dip back in the music pool is a semi-retirement and Kevin can have the best of both world.
This deluxe digital album releases in July, along side their tour with Bush and Jerry Cantrell. Visit their website at Candleboxrocks.com and their social media pages for news, and make sure you check in with Side Stage Magazine for coverage.
Tracklist:
1. What Do You Need Ft. Mona
2. Who You Are*
3. Punks
4. Elegante
5. Hourglass
6. Maze
7. Ugly
8. Foxy
9. Running with the Stars*
10. Nails on a Chalkboard
11. Cellphone Jesus
12. I Should Be Happy
13. Elegante Live
14. Cellphone Jesus Live
15. Washed Up*
