Joe Scarborough, in addition to being a former Republican congressman and superficially anti-Trump talking head, is also a musician. Like fellow titans of rock Bon Jovi and Daughtry before him, he has taken his surname as his band name: they’re called Scarborough, and they have a new EP called Welcome to the Monkey House out today. According to a statement from the man himself, the new music is inspired by Weezer–a not entirely unexpected choice for a corny dude with plastic-rimmed glasses, though a little under Joe’s age bracket–and M83. It’s hard to imagine an unlikelier reference point than the second one.
Scarborough cites Weezer and M83 as influences on his new EP pic.twitter.com/GmgUdzhOE6
— Max Tani (@maxwelltani) August 18, 2017
Listen to the new record below, if you’re so inclined. If you can hear the traces of Anthony Gonzalez’s grandiose and emotive synth-pop in these songs, you’ve got a keener ear than me.