The Eagles had two number ones sung by Don Henley before Glenn Frey got his own with this opener to their massively successful Hotel California album. This is highly ironic as he defined the band sound and dominated the greatest hits album not to mention dominating lead vocals the band's prior albums.
The Mexican flavoured track seemingly plays out like a classic telenovela as a young lover soon sees his ex with someone new. Glenn's weepy falsetto emerges reminds me of the higher voiced Mariachi singers while Randy Meisner plays a guitarrón mexicano, a staple instrument of a traditional Mariachi band.While critics emphasise the songs' allusions to the Eagles themselves as the 'new kids in town' to me this is a very shallow assessment as it's the lyrics fresh and accurate examination of the mystique of a new lover and the feeling of 'same old, same old' when that fire starts to die out and soon you're replaced. This song captures the heartbreak so exquisitely with it's lush organ and acoustic mix layered with the band's serene harmonies that tug at the heartstrings
The positioning of this single suggests the band was trying to stay attached to their highly lucrative early country rock sound whilst striving for a more soulful arena rock drive. Glenn was still ironically associated with the country sounds, despite singing like he was from Texas he was in fact a rock n roller from the Motor city than a southern outlaw. While I find Lyin Eyes more engaging, a number two hit with Frey commanding the lead, its an endless tale of a gold digger though I prefer New Kid's intricate vocal arrangement of this track particularly in the song's climax is superb, it's a shame its not the central focus and the guitars and instruments tend to soften the track too much which is why it took me a while to gt this song. it wasn't til I read a review about the lyrics's the band's strong point, which ache with regret "I Don't Want to Hear It", "There's so many things you should've told her." etc.
Glenn's arrangement sense is the best, from the beautifully worded 'Tears on your Shoulder' bridge where he harmonises with Henley to the climatic revelation 'He's holding her, and you're still around' with backing 'aahs' swirling around him. The rousing yet resigned declaration of 'There's a New Kid in Town!' seals the fatalism of the song, the same way the narrator in Lyin Eyes can't do anything about the situation. The Eagles were hopeless, melancholic observers and Glenn's sullen delivery was the always the best example of this.
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