By: Jesse Striewski

Alice Cooper has become far more than just an average rock musician at this point; he’s a flat out institution, as American as beer or baseball. And on his twenty-first studio effort, he knocks it out of the park once more, surpassing his last outing, 2017’s Paranormal album, by a longshot.

Detroit Stories starts off strong with a cover of The Velvet Underground’s “Rock and Roll,” and doesn’t let up once from there. Tracks such as “Go Man Go,” “Drunk and in Love,” “I Hate You,” and the single “Social Debris” all showcase Cooper’s love for versatility, stretching from everything from rock, blues, jazz, and punk across fifteen total numbers.

There’s a decent amount of Detroit-based covers as well, including The MC5’s “Sister Anne” and Bob Seger’s “East Side Story.” But hands down the best tracks here come in the form of the ones with a bit of a message behind them; “Hanging On By a Thread (Don’t Give Up),” “Wonderful World,” and “Shut Up and Rock” all offer a slice of real insight into Cooper’s true feelings towards the outside world, but without ever getting preachy (something he has always strayed far away from).

If Cooper has ever been your cup of tea, then Detroit Stories should be right up your alley. Whatever you do, don’t pass up this one.

Rating: 4/5 Stars