The Beths third and latest full length release, Expert In A Dying Field, which the band self describes as “an incandescent collision of power-pop and skuzz,” is an ambitious guitar driven record that just might be the band’s finest work thus far. In and of itself, this is quite a statement considering the quality of both their debut LP, 2018’s Future Me Hates Me as well as their sophomore effort Jump Rope Gazersfrom 2020. Both of those releases found themselves firmly planted on countless year end lists and I’m fairly confident that Expert will share similar such accolades.
In this age of streaming, it has become somewhat of a trend where artists will pre-release several individual songs months in advance of a full length’s release. (Of course artists and record labels have been doing this since forever via the 45rpm single.) The trend now, however, is that those pre-releases are almost invariably the best two or three songs culled from the eventual album. So inevitably upon the full release, a feeling of disappointment sets in when one discovers that the other songs don’t live up to the initial hype of the early singles. With Expert In A Dying Field, The Beths further exacerbated this trend by sequencing their first three pre-released singles as the first three tracks on the LP. My initial thoughts upon seeing this was “uh oh.”
But my worries proved to be totally unfounded with Expert and the entire album delivers from start to finish. The title track (also the first single released earlier this year) is a bright poppy broken relationship love song smack dab in The Beths’ wheelhouse. It offers up what we’ve come to know and love from the band which of course is none other than lite, breezy, sunshine ridden musical bliss paired with anxiety laden lyrics, singer Elizabeth Stokes asking “How does it feel to be an expert in a dying field? How do you know it’s over when you can’t let go?”The next track on the album is the third and most recent single, “Knees Deep,” which again, displays the band’s tried and true formula of feel good power pop. The song itself I find quite ironic in that it’s about the song’s protagonist being too scared to take the proverbial leap, in this case the metaphoric dive into the water. (The song came paired with a music video which saw the band really take a leap and featured all four members bungee jumping.)
The irony however lies in the fact that this risky leap is exactly what The Beths have done. They’ve spent the better part of 2022 touring throughout North America and Europe, not only avoiding the large corporate mega festivals but also touring as headliners rather than being out there as a support act to a more widely known, more popular act which might boost their fan base. They’ve done all this and accomplished nothing but success in the process.
Most of Expert was recorded at guitarist Jonathan Pearce’s studio on Karangahape Road in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa (Auckland, New Zealand) towards the end of 2021, with the band saying the the songs collected are autobiographical, but “they’re also character sketches of relationships—platonic, familial, romantic—and more importantly, their aftermaths. The shapes and ghosts left in absences. The question that hangs in the air: what do you do with how intimately versed you’ve become in a person, once they’re gone from your life?”
The band has also said that when recording Expert, they made a very cognizant decision to make an album which was meant to be heard live for “both the listeners and themselves.” And that they “wanted it to be fun—to hear, to play—in spite of the prickling anxiety throughout the lyrics, the fear of change and struggle to cope.” And listening to it, I can’t help but think the band was ready, they knew that the next time around things were going to be bigger for them. And no doubt with their upcoming tour in early 2023, they will be playing larger venues (once again) than they did this last time around. And to my ears Expert fits that very bill perfectly. The sixth song, “Head In The Clouds,” sounds anthemic and ready for a large stage with Pearce’s opening crunchy distorted guitar riff followed by Tristen Deck’s bouncy kick drum. Then about midway through we get Benjamin Sinclair with a classic hard driving pop punk bass line and of course all of this is swirling around while Stokes masterfully sings lines like “Yeah your head’s in the clouds but your soul’s in the dirt”.
We get more of this big pop punk sound in “I Told You I Was Afraid,” the penultimate track of the album. But this isn’t the only direction on which Stokes and The Beths take us on throughout the album. You can hear all kinds of influences popping up throughout the album. There’s some Nirvana (“A Passing Rain”), maybe some Taylor Swift (“Changing Weather”), and even a little Phoebe Bridgers (“2AM”). And in each and every case it’s not like you feel like The Beths are ripping any of these artists off. On the contrary, Stokes manages to use nuance and feel from each, and intone it into her own. So even when you hear a bit of Susanna Hoffs in a song like “When You Know You Know,” it doesn’t actually sound like Stokes trying to sound like Hoffs, but instead it’s The Beths taking that Bangles sound and bending and shaping it so that it very much becomes The Beths sound.
Expert In A Dying Field was recorded during the pandemic and fortunately New Zealand had a very strong grasp on things early on so the band was able to actually record together for the most part. Though as all things go with an unpredictable pandemic, eventually, things shifted and additional recording needed to be done separately, the band saying that they traded notes remotely for months and worked on arrangements alone. Additional finishing touches and mixing were then done while the band was here in the States touring and the recording process “culminated in a chaotic three-day studio mad-dash in Los Angeles. There, Expert finally became the record they were hearing in their heads.”
Ultimately, the finished product shows an album by a band that, while still growing with one another, and living in the midst of/adapting to very uncertain times, is still very comfortable with each other. They clearly know what they want and know how they want it to sound; they’ve managed to capture it perfectly on this newest offering.
Expert In A Dying Field will be released on 9/16 via Carpark Records. Their tour in support of it will hit New York in early March, 2023.
Hi! Hello! Here we are with some bite sized goodies and a taste of some new things that we dug this week, quick fire responses to some great new music we think you should check out. This week Chantal, Kate and Mike weighed in on some killer songs, so give em a listen!
As always, if you’re in a band or from a label, don’t hesitate to reach out and let us know about you! If we dig ya, you’ll get a nod in the column. Read on to find out what we dug the last week or so:
Brutus– Victoria. The third single from Brutus’ upcoming album Unison Life, this one finds the band in more melodic territory than before, but still with plenty of heavy riffs to spare. Singer/drummer Stephanie Mannaerts pushes the song to blistering heights with her urgent and soaring vocals alongside the pierce of the lead guitar line. The song comes with a video directed by Jonas Hollevoet; the album will see release on 10/21 via Sargent House. [KH]
Deerhoof– My Lovely Cat. Deerhoof’s latest single is a fun, fuzzed out track that captures the obsessive joy of having a cat (taking lots of pictures to post on social media, watching them on a pet-cam and not wanting to leave them at home) with a bittersweet ending: “one wish… make longevity longer, make you my immortal friend.” I wish cats were immortal too, Deerhoof. The song wasn’t written for Lil Bub, a famous kitty who passed away in 2019, but Bub’s human Mike Bridavsky coincidentally produced the track, so it is dedicated to her. [CW]
Dry Cleaning– Gary Ashby. The latest from Dry Cleaning is “a lament about a pet tortoise, escaped as a result of family chaos,” with the band going on to say “We wrote it in December 2020, one of the first new songs after the New Long Leg session.” Jangly and full of hooks, singer Florence Shaw gives quite the description of just what may have happened to poor Mr. Ashby and his “stumpy legs,” though in actuality does so in not many words and really leaves the mayhem of the scenario up to the imagination of the listener. This single is part of the upcoming album Stumpwork (10/21 via 4AD) and also comes with the announcement of headlining world tour which will hit Brooklyn on 2/2/2023 at Pioneer Works. [KH]
Gift– Feather. Brand new from the Brooklyn quintet, “Feather” was the result of singer TJ Freda awakening from a lucid dream. Elaborating, Freda said “This is one of the most personal songs on the record. One night I connected with a loved one in a dream, except I was in their mind. I was standing right in front of them and kept trying to call to them but the world in this dream was too loud and noisy. They couldn’t see or hear me. ‘Feather’ is about trying to help someone who can’t be helped, but in the end you accept them for who they are and love them no matter what.” The shimmery song is part of their debut album, Momentary Presence, which is due out 10/14 via Dedstrange. [KH]
Joudy– Uneasy. The Brooklyn based Venezuelan psych rock trio has just released the first single from their upcoming album Destroy All Monsters. This track features a hypnotic bass line and the intoxicating trip-hop meets rock psych blend they are known for (catch one of their shows for their amazing cover of Massive Attack’s “Angel”). The song also comes with a video directed by Gabriel Duque. Read more on the band’s story at Wonderland Magazine which premiered the track and catch the band at one of their upcoming residency dates at Berlin (9/15,9/22 and 9/29). [KH]
King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard-Ice V. This new track (pronounced ‘ice five’) is a groovy ten minute cut with jazz fusion vibes, perfect for jamming while holding on to the last dregs of summer, even while the lyrics about a crystalline space queen are a bit menacing. The band has an epic three albums coming out in October— Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms And Lava on 10/7, Laminated Denim on 10/12 and Changes on 10/28. [CW]
Otoboke Beaver– Chuchu Song. A not so brand new but absolutely super fun ripper from the frantic Japanese quartet. This one was the first song they wrote and a live staple for years. It was originally recorded and released in 2019 as a subscriber exclusive on Bandcamp to fans who helped fund their trip to SXSW. Now it has seen a wider release on Spotify and YouTube just in time for their upcoming US tour which will hit Brooklyn at Music Hall of Williamsburg (with Ratas En Zelo) on 10/5. We’ll see you there! [KH]
Placebo– Shout (Tears For Fears cover). The recent announcement of Placebo being forced to postpone their North American tour certainly bummed us out here at FTA, but this was a bit of a pick me up in the wake of that news as we do love a good cover (see our list of 25 of our favorite covers). They keep things pretty close to the original, with the addition of Brian Molko’s signature warble of course, but do switch things up and bring them to a bit of a darker place in the breakdown of the song—which they also shortened—making for a nice twist. [KH]
Ruth Radelet– Stranger. Best known for fronting the influential group, Chromatics, Radalet has announced her debut EP, The Other Side, which is due out on 10/7. “Stranger” is the lead single and a song the artist says is “a love letter to LA.” The song is accompanied by a stark black and white video made with director James Manson and cinematographer Freddie Whitman that features Radelet exploring the city alone. Expanding on the concept, she said the song is “about a specific kind of loneliness that I have only felt in Los Angeles. Although the song is very much about longing, it’s more about a place than a person.” The song is cinematic and sweeping and something anyone who has felt lonely can relate to, even in places like LA or NYC, surrounded by millions. [KH]
Sean Spada– The Wild Ride. This is the title track and first taste from Brooklyn based pianist Sean Spada’s upcoming solo album. If you love slightly spooky lounge vibes, this track delivers. Spada softly croons about a crazy trip that stretches the imagination sprawled over his dynamic tickling of the ivories. If you’ve ever half woken from a dream that’s just escaped your fingertips and you’re stuck somewhere between two realities and can’t seem to find your way back to either, well then you may have just taken your first steps on “The Wild Ride.” Read more here. [MB]
Smut– After Silver Leaves. Smut has announced a brand new album, How the Light Felt, and along with the album announcement comes the news tour dates and the first single “After Silver Leaves,” a song singer Tay Roebuck says is about “a former relationship I was in, it was really horribly abusive. But the approach to this one was to just spell it all out and see how silly it feels once shit really hits the fan.” Musically it’s a glinting, pretty upbeat song which belies the dark subject matter, Roebuck elaborating that “The song sounds so happy, but I’m talking about driving someone to the hospital when they’ve overdosed. And having to detach myself and realize that maybe it’s not my job as a teenage girl to save some sad sack of a guy. I think a lot of young women will relate to that, unfortunately.”
Indeed, the album (which follows up their 2020 EP Power Fantasy) is deeply personal and will touch on the death of Roebuck’s sister with the singer saying “This album is very much about the death of my little sister, who committed suicide a few weeks before her high school graduation in 2017. It was a moment in which my life was permanently destroyed, and it’s something you cannot prepare for.” The sure to be emotional album will be released on 11/11 via Bayonet Records and the tour will hit Brooklyn a day later at Alphaville. [KH]
Sun Ra Arkestra– Chopin. This first studio recording of the celebrated groups elaboration of “Prelude in A Major” from the Frédéric Chopin Opus 28 No. 7, which had previously only been heard at performances or live recordings. Baritone sax player Knoel Scott says of the song “This freshened arrangement of this Sun Ra classic is a testament to the vintaged mastery of Marshall Allen and is truly reflective of his position as a keeper of the Sun Ra Legacy.” This interpretation is part of their upcoming album Living Sky due out 10/7 via Omni Sound. [KH]
Strange Neighbors– Whoa! Is Me. The newest Strange Neighbors single is “a song about catching yourself in the act of being the bad guy” and was apparently inspired by Jefferson Airplane but ends up being truer to the jangly power-pop the band is known for. Catch them on 9/15 with Creek and Kills at Mama Tried.[CW]
Tom Skinner– Bishara. The prolific British drummer of The Smile and formerly of Sons of Kemet (who recently completed their final tour and disbanded) has just announced a brand new solo album, Voices of Bishara, and released the first single “Bishara.” The album features contributions from his former bandmate and SoK bandleader Shabaka Hutchings on tenor sax and bass clarinet as well as from Kareem Days on cello, Nubya Garcia on flute and tenor sax and Tom Herbert (of The Invisible) on bass. The album is due out on 11/4 via Brownswood Recordings/International Anthem/Nonesuch. [KH]
White Hills– Oceans Of Sound. This group has put out an astonishing amount of music over the past couple decades, and their newest single “Oceans of Sound” is a slab of buzzy, throbbing stoner psych, replete with wah-wah guitar and accompanied by an equally trippy music video. Their newest LP The Revenge of Heads On Fire will be out on September 16th. [CW]
Hi! Hello! Here we are with some bite sized goodies and a taste of some new things that we dug this week, quick fire responses to some great new music we think you should check out. This week Kate and Mike weighed in on some killer songs, so give em a listen!
As always, if you’re in a band or from a label, don’t hesitate to reach out and let us know about you! If we dig ya, you’ll get a nod in the column. Read on to find out what we dug the last week or so:
Dentist– Check the Calendar. Forgot to check the calendar? Better late than never. End of Summer track by Asbury Park, NJ’s jangle fuzz darlings, Dentist, reminds us of all the possibilities that await us when Summer first begins. With a big satisfying fuzz pop chorus laid over delicate and deliberate musical interplay between Emily Bornemann (bass,vocals), Justin Bornemann (guitar), and Matt Hockenjos (drums), “Check the Calendar” has enough sugar to keep us bouncing off the walls well into next Summer. [MB]
Faderdaze– Break! The latest from Amelia Murray’s Faderdaze and the title track from her first release in five years, a new EP due out October 14th via section1. The song is a grungey alt jam that would have fit wonderfully in 1994 but still feels fresh in the moment of 2022. On the subject matter Murray says “I wish I had broken earlier because it was one of the truest things I ever did for myself. This EP is about finally allowing myself to give up. It’s about severing from the false parts of myself that were conditioned and not authentic to me. It’s everything I wasn’t allowing myself to feel over the past few years; angry, disappointed, cynical, exhausted and over it.” Very relatable indeed and very anticipated by us here at FTA. [KH]
Ghost Funk Orchestra– Scatter.Ahead of their upcoming October 28th release A New Kind of Love, a teaser single “Scatter” dropped this week along with a slick music video that gives nod to the classic bygone age from which it draws influence. Think sparkles and spotlights surrounded by cigar smoke and thick curtains, this new track grooves along the funky beat that’s become almost signature inside the mind of multi-instrumentalist/composer/producer, Seth Applebaum.
The former Mad Doctors guitarist/singer never completely abandons his 60s garage/psych influence when writing, composing, and performing over a dozen different complex musical components, blending it all with the big band orchestras of parallel era. Applebaum has once again enlisted his junkyard gang of mostly current and former King Pizza Records musicians to round out Ghost Funk’s spectacularly talented live band, currently on tour across the U.S. And if the occasionally frantic oft lazy stride of “Scatter” is any indicator of what’s to come, we are all in for a crisp and hazy ride through space and time. [MB]
Gloin– Shoot To Kill. Brand new music from the Canadian noise rock quartet who have also just announced their debut album, We Found This (due out 10/21 via Mothland). I discovered this band when I saw them opening for the wonderfully weird Snapped Ankles (see pics) back in March and they were the perfect pairing, also making for one of my favorite discoveries of the year thus far. They’ve drawn comparisons to Sonic Youth meets Lightning Bolt which I’d say is spot on and I hear some distinct goth influence in there as well.
This song is a fun dancey groove, showing off their post punk sensibilities quite nicely with a driving, dirty bassline and plenty of noise to spare. Accompanying the song is a music video directed by Chris McCluskey who says it was intended to “support the energetic style and sound of Gloin,” a goal they definitely achieved. The band told me they aim to return to the States and New York specifically in March 2023, wonderful news and something I’m definitely very much looking forward to. [KH]
Goat– Under No Nation. The return of the masked Swedish band that effortlessly blends funk, psych and jazz. The song will be on their first album in six years, Oh Death, and hits all the hallmarks of their signature sound. Also accompanying the song is a trippy animated video which was producted/animated by John-Mark Lapham. The album is due out on 10/21 via Rocket Recordings. [KH]
Gorillaz– New Gold (feat. Tame Impala & Bootie Brown). For lots of 90s kids, Blur is the be all end all as far as Damon Albarn is concerned, but not for me. I’ve always loved his work in Gorillaz the most which usually comes as a surprise to people who know me. But it’s the truth, I do love laid back electro music in this vein and have loved Gorillaz since their very first album. This latest track is the second from their just announced 8th album, Cracker Island, which is due out in early 2023. The song doesn’t break a lot of new ground from previous releases, rather it has a comfortably familiar feel, but honestly that’s what I love about it. Bootie Brown (of The Pharcyde) and Kevin Parker (of Tame Impala) provide guest vocals alongside misty vocals from 2-D (the alter ego of Albarn) accompanying a bouncy beat, lithe bassline, and fun synthy production which all coalesce in a nice late summer heading-into-fall jam. [KH]
Native Sun– There’s Revolution. The lead off single from the just announced a brand new EP Off With Our Heads, due out 10/14 via Grand Jury. Big big riffs, sexy guitar leads and loads of fuzz make up the core of this fuzzy psych jam from Brooklyn’s Native Sun. [KH]
Ok Cowgirl– Just Friends.The latest single “Just Friends” by Brooklyn indie-dreampop quartet, Ok Cowgirl, serves up a powerfully moody mix of almost Colatura style melody, dirtied with a touch of Dilly Dally, poured over a Flashdance backbeat that makes you wanna just dance it all out. The lyrics penned by vocalist/guitarist Leah Lavigne, confidently address when an ultimately unsatisfying relationship has run its course. “You ever try to be just friends with the devil /You ever try to be just friends with an angel /You ever try to be just friends/with a girl who breaks your heart/Over and over again”
The song’s unique approach to romantic misfire plays as genuine and organic in its execution as well. The group rounded out by Matt Birkenholz (drums), Jake Sabinsky (guitar), and John Miller (bass) sound like a band who have evolved together as writers and players completing each other’s musical sentences. The places where the guitar and vocals fill and create space feels just as confident as it’s lyrical content would suggest. Meanwhile the entire track drives and punches relentlessly with an underlying bass/drum rhythmic spine that hits like velvet hammer. I’ve always appreciated Ok Cowgirl’s ability to identify an emotional pressure point and proceed to assert strength in the complexities of ambivalence, and am really looking forward to hear what’s next from the band. [MB]
Quicksand– Giving The Past Away. The post hardcore greats are back with a new song, a track that is reminiscent of all the things this band does best and comes ahead of their tour with Clutch and Helmet which kicks off on 9/13 in Toronto. This song was left off of their 2021 album, Distant Populations, and on this the band said “The working title for this song was “Greatest Quicksand Song Ever” so you can imagine it was a very tough call leaving this song off Distant Populations. The only reason we could agree on to leave it off was that we wanted to have some really strong material in reserve for later in the year. Ultimately the title came from the most prominent line in the song which is an embrace of the present which is very in line with our thinking with Distant Populations, we’re super proud of this one and are very psyched to share it with the world.” [KH]
Rube– Disco Italo. The debut single from NJ’s, Rube. The instrumental quartet is made up of members of other bands (Keef Chamber, Fang Gang and more) and the title for this song is apt, it does hit quite the disco groove along with quieter proggy interludes. This is the first recorded output from the band and an EP will soon follow. [KH]
Upchuck– Facecard. A fun, bouncy alt rock meets garage punk bop from the Atlanta group and the second offering from their upcoming debut album Sense Yourself. The album is due out September 30th via Famous Class and if the first two songs are any indication, this is sure to find it’s way onto my Best of 2022 list. [KH]
Venus Twins– Mist Mist Mist Mist Mist Mist Mist Mist Mist. Jake and Matt Derting’s high octane twin blast/noise rock duo, Venus Twins, released this new single just in time for September to pull its dark cloak over Summer’s tail, and it’s a tension builder for sure. Every time you think it’s about to boil over into total madness, they pull back the heat and allow the beat to simmer.
The real prize however, if your ticker can handle it, shows in the perfect juxtaposition with the two previously released singles, “God’s Machines,” the ten minute opus that is just as powerful and thunderous as its title would suggest. Providing very little room to catch your breath, the twins frantically weave in and out of time signatures with monstrous force. Only in the moments where there’s a brief lull, do you remember that you’re listening to just bass and drums. The rest of the time you’re hanging on for dear life as everything devolves into a wall of noise. “Return to Dust,” is a quick but massive ripper, serving as a direct message to The Refused that Venus Twins are clearly the new Shape of Punk to Come. And more is coming soon in the form of an anticipated full length due out in October. [MB]
Weep Wave– My Desire (Tour Song). Hot on the heels of the bands 2022 EP “Join Our Cult”, Seattle’s Weep Wave drops their new single “My Desire (Tour Song)” as an end of Summer anthem for being on the road. “I need to stretch my legs/Gotta strut my stuff/ Leave it all behind if you think you got the guts.” Fitting for a band that seems to have been on an endless DIY tour of the US all Summer long. With its blend of electro and post-punk live instrumentation, it’s a bit of a shift for the rock band that almost feels like it was written and recorded in the backseat of the van after long hours on the road. Really excited for these guys to roll through Brooklyn on Saturday 9/24 at The Tubs. [MB]
Work Wife– Ride, Ride. If there was a soundtrack sitting passenger-side for a road trip across the US, “Ride, Ride,” the latest single by Work Wife is it. Feet up on the dashboard, window down, hair blowing in the wind. As the dusty gas station shrinks in the rear view mirror, this track can take you through the forests of Pennsylvania, the rolling foothills of The Ozarks, winding up the mountain passes of Wyoming, and cruising down the PCH at sunset. It’s a beautiful track with subtle strings behind layers of soaring vocals, and a super catchy guitar hook that begs for you to never come home. [MB]
In Debbie Dopamine’s debut EP, Pets, the songwriting project of Brooklyn-based musician Katie Ortiz spells out what it means to embrace being a mess. From catchy instrumental arrangements to brutally honest lyrics, Ortiz has deliveredan album that is acutely self-aware and unapologetic while establishing herself as a serious force of an artist. With six songs that span 20 minutes and 49 seconds, Pets is a deeply thought-provoking and worthwhile work of art. In addition to creating a record with a healthily varied sound and style, Ortiz gives plenty of room to each of her songs without them ever becoming drawn-out. Through striking a balance with these elements, Pets commands an attentive listen and gets better with each rotation.
Pets opens with “Get Better,” which is a song that is about not wanting to get better. Anchoring itself in the narrator’s commitment to being unwell, “Get Better” sifts through various layers of emotional complexity with lyrics such as “It’s the instinct to heal that drives me insane” and “I feel my best when I don’t feel anything.” Melodically, the song oscillates between breakdowns and more contemplative moments, leaving plenty of moments for catching your breath. Glockenspiel, synths, guitars, drums, and more are all present in this searingly brilliant track, kicking the record off with a bang.
Following “Get Better” is “Eat Cake,” a track that FTA contributor Mike Borchardt has previously written about and whose music video was directed by our very own Jeanette D. Moses. The song picks up where “Get Better” thematically left off and serves as an excellent transition into the rest of the album. Ortiz continues to sing about coming to terms with accepting mental instability while also proclaiming that she’s going to make her own happy neurotransmitters. In the second verse, she sings “And everybody said I would be better by now/But I got no more tricks up their sleeves/And I don’t want to waste their time any more/Waiting for my dopamine” and by the song’s end, she decides, “I’m not gonna waste my life anymore/I’ll make my own dopamine.”
Providing a burst of emotional sovereignty, is the beautiful and cello-heavy “Rhododendrons,” in which Ortiz seems to reflect on her existence in terms of her past and future selves. “Do the new selves that haunt my home/Ever cross paths with all my ghosts” are the brilliant first lines of the song—prompting the listener to question their own identity while bearing witness to Debbie Dopamine’s conundrum. The song elicits imagery of being in a garden, amongst rhododendrons, large and beautiful flowers capable of sheltering many different types of living beings. Cellist Anthime Miller’s work on the track is exceptional while the track’s composition is remarkable.
Although Pets is only six songs long, it feels like a true and complete album. The rest of the tracks (“Interlude,” “Swimming Pool,” and “Sour”) all hold their own in different ways and round out a truly astounding effort on the part of Katie Ortiz and her entire team. “Sour” is a perfect closer while “Swimming Pool” offers a 90’s rock aesthetic with intensely raw lyrics such as “My mother would be so depressed/But she’s not here and I am blessed/To be left behind/Instead of six feet under, killing time.”
Through Pets, Ortiz has created a long-lasting impression with Debbie Dopamine as a formidable figure in both music and artistic ingenuity. I am thrilled to see what’s next for her and can’t wait to rock out whenever she plays around Brooklyn.
My introduction to the Brooklyn-based trio, Thick, happened this past spring at Warsaw when they opened for Australian booze loving punk wild men, The Chats. I was instantly struck by how high guitarist/vocalist Nicki Sisti and bassist/vocalist Kate Black can jump while singing and playing, and their energy was infectious. They got the entire ballroom bouncing off the walls with their special brand of pop-punk. (Drummer/vocalist Shari Page was also electricity made corporeal, but hasn’t yet figured out how to jump up and down while behind a kit, which I don’t fault her for. She, too, is amazing.) My partner left their merch table that night with 5 Years Behind, which was unfortunately released in March 2020, a most unfun time to release such a great album.
But! But…Thick has just come out with a new full-length release, Happy Now, which as much as I adored 5 Years Behind, I think this new work offers a really interesting tension between the frenetic and fun drive of their music and the somber and heartbroken reality of most of the songs’ lyrics. I’m still bouncing all around my kitchen listening to Happy Now, but I am acutely aware listening to the words that there is some deep hurt roiling under the rockingness of it all.
I mean, hey, we’ve all just gone through (and are continuing to navigate) the craziness of this pandemic, and the mental unrest present in the lyrics of Happy Now’s first track, “Happiness” (yeah, right…we’re happy!) honestly reveals an uneasy emotional tone that I completely identify with right now: “Happiness from the outside in…it fills my gut but it leaves me thin…Look at me, you’re just like me…you fill my guts but you leave me with doubt.” Yep, here we are…and I appreciate that the women of Thick are barreling straight into the honest intensity of the present moment (and still rocking it!).
But beyond any pandemic-related shared trauma that’s resonating with me as I listen (and re-listen) to Happy Now, I still have to say that I shake my head after cathartically enjoying all eleven tracks and say “Who hurt you?” Happy Now gives an example to all of us of how to frenetically muscle one’s way through the hardest times. What do you do when you’re “crying everyday …you’re not to blame…I’m fighting …fighting for change…take it day by day,” as the standout track “Wants & Needs” declares? The serious lyrical tone continues in “Disappear”: “You disappear when I’m right here…swallowed by voices that I can not hear.”
And while a lot of the lyrical themes are dark, there is also the glimmer of holding onto hope and the ability to triumph despite being labeled as a “loser” or “less than” which is what the song “Loser” centers around. This was the first single from the album and came with a cheeky sports themed video that also featured FTA crew Jeanette D. Moses and Kate Hoos in front of and behind the camera.
I am grateful to Thick for writing and playing raucously through such difficult times and subject matter. Get Happy Now in whatever form you consume music. Carry this painfully exuberant music around with you and feel grateful for how much Thick rocks!
Happy Now is out now via Epitaph Records and available on all major streaming platforms.
Efrem Czajkowski, Wren Krisztin, and Aaron Batley (aka The Janes)—have been together since 2016. The Corruption of What Cheer?, their new full length, is a culmination of their creativity and hard work over these last two tumultuous years.
In 2020 they released the single Pink Liquor/Respect, recorded in 2018. Both tracks have found their way onto their new full length LP in fresh forms. “Pink Liquor” is the perfect leadoff track, demonstrating much of what makes the band so compelling and unique. An ominous song, the swirling guitars and synths coupled with sharp percussion involve a dark carnival atmosphere. There are many interlocking parts here that fit a lot of complexity into only 4 and a half minutes.
This sets the listener up for much of what they can expect through most of the record, although there are quieter moments as well (the re-recorded “Respect”) and some songs with a genuinely danceable beat (“Can You Ever.”) The Janes make great use of their harmonized vocals, especially on songs like “Miscommunication Department.” Sometimes the vocals are very present in the mix, at other times moved into the background for a truly 3D quality.
Multi-instrumentalist experimental music can easily go in the direction of jam band meanderings. (Which isn’t to put down jam bands, but it’s nice to know if that’s coming or not.) Yet even on the longest track “What is Left is Also What is Right,” which flirts with jamminess, the music seems to be moving towards a deliberate destination.
The Corruption of What Cheer? truly feels like a collaborative effort, and it’s easy to tell the members are having fun even while they take their craft seriously. According to the band, the album was the result of “enthusiastic, zealous single-day recording followed by months of loving, careful bedroom mixing” and it shows.
Watch their latest video here and see several more on the band’s YouTube, or you can look them up on Instagram and Twitter. Jane Doe Ensemble are a compelling live act and they will be at Pete’s Candy Store on September 3rd and Hart Bar on September 10th.
