It felt like after Greta Van Fleet released Starcatcher—and embarked on the album's equally horrific tour—the boys went into hiding before emerging over the summer to promote their new album, Palace for the People.

At one time, Greta Van Fleet was dubbed the next big thing in rock; they were meant to save the genre that was slowly fading into obscurity.

However, titans of the genre like Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Jack White, and the Foo Fighters, to name a few, released quality albums decades into their careers in 2026, proving that age is just a number. Those who carried rock decades ago still do.

On one hand, that's great news for Greta Van Fleet. The weight is off their shoulders to save the genre (for now), but they still face a tall task: rebounding from Starcatcher.

Starcatcher had its moments, namely the lead single “Meeting the Master,” but despite being the shortest album of the band's career, it felt like the longest. This was even more apparent in their Starcatcher World Tour. Luckily, Palace for the People only has one song over five minutes long.

Sonically, Palace for the People brings Greta Van Fleet back to their Battle at Garden's Gate days. It's a safe, somewhat return to the basics for the band. They might have gone too far the other way from being experimental, though, as Palace for the People is as risk-averse as the group could get. Still, anything is better than their last album.

A review of Greta Van Fleet's Palace for the People

The (mostly) instrumental opening of Palace for the People is an interesting soundscape. It segues listeners into one of the album's highlights, “Tear It Down.” This back-to-basics rocker doesn't overthink; it just does. Josh Kiszka's love of vocalizing is still clear on the first two tracks, but it doesn't overshadow them (luckily).

“Tear It Down” is a relatively simple song, and in some ways, it feels like a direct reference to Greta Van Fleet rebuilding themselves after Starcatcher. Kiszka contemplates, “What have we done now? / I'm searching for answers in the shifting clouds / What will we do when it gets too loud? / We've gotta tear it down.”

Tearing down the over-produced and self-indulgent approach of Starcatcher that began one album earlier on The Battle at Garden's Gate was necessary. “Tear It Down” is more than a song — it's a promise that sets the stage for the band's fourth album.

“Heart and the Beat” keeps things grooving. This is the type of Led Zeppelin-adjacent song that made Greta Van Fleet popular. While they shouldn't aspire to replicate Zeppelin, there's nothing wrong with letting Jake Kiszka shred to open a song. He's got the talent; it just has to be applied appropriately.

Other highlights

The following song, “Boughten Bliss,” is a surprising highlight, with an orchestra and acoustic guitar backing it. It's a better version of “Meeting the Master,” even if Josh Kiszka's vocals are overexposed here with his reckless crooning. “Field of Stars” similarly opens with acoustic guitar, almost similar to something from the band's first album. Kiszka's got a lot of George Harrison in his acoustic guitar playing. Palace for the People gives him several chances to showcase it.

“Play Your Games” was a great lead single because it showed Greta Van Fleet's willingness to return to their roots. It is the closest to something like “Mountain of the Sun” that they've come to in several years.

The bluesy riff is groovy, and it's the sound the band should have built on instead of going the guitar-heavy, psychedelic route of Starcatcher. Greta Van Fleet is at their best when the arrangements and lyrics are simple. There's no need to overcomplicate things. “Play Your Games” is the first banger they've made since “Heat Above.”

Another standout is “Touch Again,” which is like a briefer “Age of Machine” and “Built By Nations.” It's quick to the point, which isn't generally said about their recent songs.

“Saw You Stand” is a change of pace, opening as a slow piano ballad. Josh Kiszka still belts, but he shows much-needed restraint in the verses. Not every pitch has to be a fastball—ease listeners into the crescendos—and that's the best thing he could've learned after Greta Van Fleet's last output.

Should you listen to Greta Van Fleet's Palace for the People?

Ironically, Greta Van Fleet sings a song titled “Lost in the Golden.” That aptly describes their Starcatcher era. They got lost in trying to be different after endlessly being dubbed the “next Led Zeppelin.”

Article Continues Below

It's not hard to see why. Greta Van Fleet peaked extremely early with tracks like “Safari Song,” “Black Smoke Rising,” and “Highway Tune” on their earliest EPs. They followed it up well with the fantastic Anthem of the Peaceful Army but lost their way somewhere along the making of The Battle at Garden's Gate.

However, that resulted in an obnoxious amount of guitar solos (fear not — Jake Kiszka still gets his time to shine) and never-ending songs.

There are still remnants of the band once compared to Zeppelin — never more apparent than on “Call My Own,” which would seamlessly fit into Led Zeppelin IV — but the Greta Van Fleet that was once lost has been found.

On “Field of Stars,” Josh Kiszka sings, “It's time to move along / And I'm so far from home / I know it won't be long / This is my wayward song.” It feels like an acknowledgment of the failures of their last album and a return home to where Greta Van Fleet is at their best.

With Palace for the People, Greta Van Fleet is ready to make waves again. Hopefully, their next album takes more risks, as Palace for the People feels like a concerted effort to appease the masses.

Greta Van Fleet's Palace for the People is out now.