![]() ![]() I just let my head sink down and fake some deep sobs. She says ‘I’ve missed this.’ I say ‘I know, I’ve missed you too.’ She says, ‘I was actually talking about your coat.’ She makes me laugh, oh how she makes me laugh. Somewhere between drunkenness and charity, she puts her hand on the sleeve of my coat. ![]() Charlie’s drinking wine, Judy’s laughing at him, she says ‘I forget that you’re such a fancy guy.’ He tips his hat, says ‘M’lady, do you come here often?’ I swear I’ve seen them do this one a couple times before. ![]() Somewhere between drunkenness and sincerity, I smile at her for just a little too long. She laughs at me, says ‘What was that supposed to be?’ I say ‘I’m sorry, I’m from a different part of the country.’ She says She says thanks to me in a British accent and I try to answer her in the same voice. “Somewhere between drunkenness and chivalry, I hold the door open and let her pass through. Following the “lush, jazzy retro pop-rocker” (Stereogum) “Things I Do”, “Try Again” continues to present Shauf’s distinct style of storytelling as he describes an awkwardly funny and charming reunion between the song’s narrator and his ex: The Neon Skyline’s interconnected songs are all written, performed, arranged and produced by Shauf, and follow a simple plot: the narrator goes to his neighborhood dive, finds out his ex is back in town, and she eventually shows up. ANDY SHAUF RELEASES NEW SINGLE/VIDEO “TRY AGAIN” THE NEON SKYLINE OUT JANUARY 24 VIA ARTS & CRAFTSĪndy Shauf releases a new single/video, “Try Again” from The Neon Skyline, his new album due January 24 via Arts & Crafts. Sign up for the 10 to Hear newsletter here. Change all the names and the album can still hit you like a speeding car.Ĭatch up every Saturday with 10 of our best-reviewed albums of the week. You don’t have to map out that social network to be struck by the desperation of the lotto-playing lovers on album opener “Wilds (Judy)” or by the sadness of the unanswered questions on album closer “Jeremy’s Wedding (Wilds).” At heart these are songs about living with the weight of sadness, about the accumulation of severed relationships and missed connections and regrets both big and small. All of these songs and their wayward characters are connected, but you don’t have to be familiar with any of Shauf’s previous albums to find something relatable and powerful in these new songs. There’s a hint in the lyrics that the doomed jaywalker is actually Judy’s forlorn ex, the same guy who narrated “Where Are You Judy” on The Neon Skyline, and it’s not a stretch to think he’s nearly killed just as he’s leaving that bar. The humor underscores the pathos, and vice versa. He’s less concerned about the root of such melancholy and more interested in its effect in the real world. “Jaywalker with your head hung down, never saw it coming,” he sings over a marching beat, “it” being the car that slams into the protagonist who is so lost in his worries that he’s oblivious to oncoming traffic. “Jaywalker” is like one of those gruesome old highway safety films, except the danger here is reckless moping rather than reckless driving. There’s always some dark fear or gnawing anxiety just under the surface of his songs. Shauf can be clever, but like John Darnielle-another writer given to self-imposed songwriting conceits-he’s never merely clever. It’s a fine setting for his distinctive voice, which chews on his consonants and wrings his syllables into unusual shapes. And the rhythm section seems to be mocking him on “Jeremy’s Wedding (Wilds),” especially that “Walk On the Wild Side” bassline. An electric guitar punctuates his worries on “Call” with a single funereal strum, then disrupts “Green Glass” with a riff as unruly as a cowlick. Forgoing the lush sound of previous albums, Wilds is lovingly, wryly minimalist, and he arranges these instruments-most of which he played himself-as though blocking a short play with a small cast. Shauf has described it as a collection of demos, but that might actually be underselling it, because there’s as much wit in his playing as in his songwriting. By ceding control, Shauf allows the songs to wander wherever they want, paying their tab at the Skyline and heading out into the world.Įven as he extends his universe, he pares his songs down to their barest bones. Because it’s beholden to no overarching conceit, the music sounds looser, a bit wilder, more lackadaisical in a sadsack sort of way, its arc less predetermined and its themes emerging more organically. Despite such tortured origins, the album works surprisingly well. It’s all part of the Andy Shauf Extended Universe. It’s not strictly a sequel, but it’s not completely unrelated either. Wilds combines those two ideas into something that’s neither/nor. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |