Stream Joey Cape's (Lagwagon) somber new album 'A Good Year To Forget'

2020 was a tough year for a lot of us, including Lagwagon and Bad Astronaut frontman Joey Cape, who named his new solo album A Good Year To Forget. On top of the mass frustration and anxiety that most people faced last year, Joey also lost his father, separated from his wife of 20 years, contracted COVID, and was forced to move back into his parents’ home. That’s reflected in the somber tone of A Good Year To Forget, which features little more than Joey’s voice, acoustic guitar, and some minimal embellishments.

“It’s always a relief when an album is released,” Joey tells us. “I worked on A Good Year To Forget most of 2020 and part of 2021. It was a very personal project. I wrote and recorded most of the album alone in lockdown and was forced to play all of the instruments and had little feedback. The whole process already feels like a distant memory, but I am hopeful I will look back on this album as an overall positive experience, even though sad affairs inspired it.”

It’s a gorgeous album, and it’s one unlike almost anything he’d done before. It’s extremely personal and blunt, and — though Joey is best known for snotty punk — it reminds you that he’s just a great singer/songwriter at heart.

The album officially comes out this Friday (8/13) via Fat Wreck Chords (pre-order), but a full stream premieres right now in this post. Listen below…