Blunt Objects – NUMB
Blunt Objects – NUMB – Album Review
Alrighty…we’ve got some more Blunt Objects music for ya here on our pages…
I’ll skip the introduction, because I’m pretty sure if you’ve been on this site before you’re probably plenty familiar with the name by now. It’s that quirky Bill Owens project we know and love, that was even featured here just a couple days back on a collaboration with The Spice Lads for their Edible Barista EP. Bill had warned me there was a lot of music coming out this year, and so here we are, back again.
NUMB is a nine-track album, which begins with “All The Time.” Built on a thread of sweetness strong enough to pull on and unravel your sweater – that’d be one of a few significant positives to be found in this opening tune. I like that there are things you can hear that Bill and Blunt Objects don’t usually do, like the echo of a call & answer in the chorus between the lead and backing vocals – that was cool to hear. Chorus-wise, I feel like you’ll find a few more tangible hooks than we usually tend to get with Blunt Objects, all the way to the point where I feel like there’s one highly catchy one in the fade out that could have easily been included earlier on, where Bill’s singing “All The Time.” Sometimes we reviewers end up in these crazy situations where we hear something like that moment that could have made all the difference in the world for a song’s overall accessibility, and have to wonder how on earth the opportunity could have been missed, you know? But I like that Bill’s singing a bit more than he used to, despite the fact I love the guy in his Spoken Word gear as well. As for the song itself, it’s a bit on the full side of sound I suppose, but you can still discern where the hooks are in the music, which is important.
“Beacon” was a WEIRD choice to place second in the lineup – because for a moment or two as it begins, you’re gonna feel like you’re in-store for the exact same song as you just heard with “All The Time,” at a slightly different pace. Thankfully the déjà vu subsides fairly quickly as the sound of this second song starts to diversify…but yeah man…odd choice. Spacing two similar vibes can often be to the benefit of each, unless you want that continuation-like effect of one song carrying over into the next. Which to be fair, maybe that was what Owens wanted for this Blunt Objects tune. The chorus on this tune is super tough…this is one of those cases where you can hear the music is calling out for a different rhythm and flow than what Bill is bringing to it, and that the dynamics of the sound aren’t quite being capitalized on. A signature sound can work against ya when you’re not too careful – Bill’s got his pace as a vocalist, and I’ll be damned if you can rush the guy any further than what’s comfortable for him, despite what the music might be calling for or what could potentially serve the song best. So while I like a lot of what I hear on “Beacon,” it’s also hard to listen to this track without feeling like it could have been even better. Musically, there’s a lot I dig here…it’s got that colorfully jangly throwback vibe to it at its most intense, which reminds me of the 50s or what we’ve heard more recently in stuff like The LAs or The Kid Chocolate band. Like all things with Blunt Objects, there are always positives to be found, but it does also feel like Bill is straying a bit away from the uniqueness of his poetic lyricism in favor of creating songs with a more relatable theme to them. I’ll be real with ya…I don’t know that that’s the right call.
Bill be like, “I Want More,” and I be like, yoooooo – that’s what I’m talkin’ about homie! And yet here we are…I’m not quite convinced that’s what we’re getting, unless we’re strictly talking about quantity. I never expect everyone out there to agree with everything I’m ever gonna say or feel how I feel about any given tune or record – so if “I Want More” is your jam, you know I’m all for you tuning it right UP until your heart’s content, truly. By the third track here though, I’m starting to feel a little similar as to how I felt about the Edible Barista EP with respect to how this feels like Blunt Objects is spinning its wheels a bit creatively, and coasting along more than it should be. Things aren’t quite sounding as natural as they’re likely intended to be…and when that’s not the case, usually you end up with something that seems more forced instead. I don’t know if I feel like “I Want More” goes quite that far to the opposite end of the spectrum – there are parts of the way that Bill sings a few of the choruses that I particularly enjoy…but I feel like he’s missing the uniqueness that made this project of his great in the past. Things are seemingly a bit more normal this time around, and there’s risk in going that direction of course. Musically, I’d have been inclined to throw this track right into the ocean I think…no life preserver…if it swam back to me, I’d consider keeping it I suppose. We’re missing the nuance of Blunt Objects at its best though…”I Want More” is extra frustrating in the sense that it’s got Owens continually singing about how he wants more when that’s exactly how we feel in listening to it…there’s an essential inspired spark that seems to not be as present as we’re used to.
Don’t get me wrong, I completely acknowledge how fine a line Bill is trying to talk in Blunt Objects. Too quirky, and you lose that accessibility. Too accessible, and it’s not quite Blunt Objects enough. Too straightforward and it’s not uniquely artistic. Too artistic and it’s not accessible enough. You see what I mean? The guy has got his work cut out for him – I recognize that it’s not easy. That being said, when you’ve heard as much as I have from this project, reviewing it doesn’t get easier – it gets way tougher. Expectations get formed. Abilities are known. Surprises are often fewer. And so I push back harder, challenging projects like these to rise above any criticism and level up, because I’m confident they can. “Boyscouts Whistling Up Mt Fuji” isn’t gonna be the song that takes NUMB from goodness to greatness, but it is amusing. Owens takes a moment off from his microphone duties to just let the music play on this particular cut…and what’d I tell ya about that fine line being so tough to walk – now we miss the guy’s voice on this instrumental. It’s partly because there’s not really enough to keep listeners coming back for another dose of “Boyscouts Whistling Up Mt Fuji” and partly because having his vocals in the mix here could have tempered some of its more abrasive sounds a little, or masked them a little more. In any event, if I’m being truthful with the guy, I don’t think the addition of vocals would have saved this song entirely…I’d be leaning towards leaving it behind instead personally. It’s alright, but I feel like being alright isn’t what anyone is aiming for with their work as an artist, is it? We can get too caught up in the moment & the creative process if we’re not too careful, and it usually costs us our objectivity as a result.
Having said that, “cynicism can look a lot like wisdom” – and perhaps I need to check myself. Bill’s having fun making his music, and I’ve always said, that should simply be enough for anyone at the end of the day. I do my best to remember that, but I’ve also gotta balance that reality with the idea that other people are going to listen to these records as well, and making sure they’re properly informed about what to expect. “Without Thought” gets a bit closer to the creative standards we know and love within Blunt Objects, and it’s got a bit more of a lively groove to it, which should play well with the people out there tuning in. Like, the bass-lines for instance – that’s great stuff right there! Plenty of movement and great energy…I also like the backing vocals in the distance and the dynamics shared between the music and vocals of this song as it fluctuates in its pace as we listen. “I don’t care what anybody thinks of me” says Bill…which is usually a good thing for the overly-critical folks like me, because the risk of him hating me for anything I might bring up becomes lower! Ha – got him! He knows I’m coming at him from a place of love – I really do think the world of this guy whether he cares or not…and I feel a personal sense of responsibility when it comes to helping him get the best out of his music. Some folks need a voice outside of the process or the recording studio to bring things back down to planet Earth when they drift too far away from the mark…”Without Thought” is good, but we’re missing the Blunt Objects greatness.
While I still feel like there’s a lot of space for Bill to change up his approach from song to song, when things fit, there’s no reason to make complaints out of whole cloth. I really like the writing on “Time With You” and feel like Owens nailed the sincerity required to make a great love-song work, and not only that, but I love the fact that he’s created one with the observatory bluntness that pretty much only he could. So you get this like…mix of emotions that are equally as present as they are detached too, which makes for a really compelling listen on “Time With You.” I also feel that, with less ingredients involved, we get access to the core of this song in ways we haven’t been able to with the material that has been filled to the brim. I would understand if someone were to argue that “Time With You” doesn’t really have the pulse or energy they’re looking for every single day of the week…but I feel like there’s also a time, place, and mood that we can find ourselves in that would make this the perfect song too. It’s realistic – I guess that’s what I’m getting at – and I appreciate the grounded wisdom of Bill Owens. “Time With You” might not be a song for every playlist you’ll ever make, but after having a listen to this track, I’m confident that you’d know exactly when you’d want to reach for a cut like this for comfort.
My wife and I were basically just talking about “Murder On 5th Ave” only mere seconds ago…so when I heard this song start up and continue the conversation, it was like the entire internet had overheard what we were saying. If you’re familiar with politics as of late…and at this point, I don’t know how anyone couldn’t be (but I do envy you if that’s truly the case!)…you’ll be able to know what Owens is singing about just by the title of this track alone, and where that reference comes from. This planet is DOOMED right now if it sticks to the course that it’s on, and with each passing day, it seems like more of us are coming to that conclusion. “Can’t tell now what’s up or down” – “I don’t know what’s right or wrong anymore” – and ain’t that sad? We’re living in the grey era…and it sucks about as much as the color does. I miss the days when “science had respect” like Bill does, and agree with him when he says that “we’ve backslid 50 years.” We’re seemingly obsessed with our own oblivion and hurtling towards it like the Titanic to an iceberg…and while I certainly feel like I know the ONE MAN responsible for sending us in this perilous, self-destructive direction…ultimately I know he’s not the entire reason as to why we’re in the state we’re in. He ain’t helping, believe that – but he’s a symptom of an even larger problem. He uncorked a whole bunch of issues that had long been bottled up for all the right reasons, dormant and relegated to the process of being left behind by evolution…and now that all that crap is out in the wide open again, we have to look at it in the daylight. We have to be unafraid to confront the evil we see being done in the world right now and be willing to take it on with the confidence of knowing we’re on the right side of history, and permanently send all this backwards-ass thinking to the dustbin where it belongs. So heck yeah Bill, I hear ya on this topic, and I sympathize. I’m inspired by the youth out there that seem like they refuse to take this shit lying down…so I’m not entirely without hope…yet. An interesting & relevant topic like this works well in Blunt Objects’ favor…and combined with clever aspects like the backing vocals and music that is a seamless fit for the words, this track is a real winner.
In terms of adhering to the theme suggested by the title, I think that “Yet…” probably covers the subject the best, even if it’s still fairly abstract & interpretive. As a song…hmm…I guess it’s fairly hard to conceive of this being the tune that everyone is hoping to find this deep into a lineup with its subdued energy coming at a time where NUMB can feel like it needs a bit of life in its veins – BUT…I suppose we also have to look at that as being fairly on-point too, don’t we? Every so often you run into a theme or a concept that gets hit too close to home through the execution and results…and maybe that’s what’s happening here on NUMB…maybe that inspired spark that has seemed to be missing from some of these tunes is a casualty of the war on information. Bill might just be tired of fighting the good fight in resistance to these oppressive and imposing times we’re currently living through, which is reflected in the detached feeling we get in listening to these songs, where Blunt Objects usually feels like they are completely connected, present and accounted for. “Yet…” has its moments, particularly shining bright as it transitions from verse to chorus in that first line…but it’s still hard to escape that feeling of wanting more from this record. I wish I could put my finger on exactly what seems to be missing, but I’m a bit at a loss for what it actually IS. I think it’s just the natural ebb and flow of an artist’s career…we all have those moments where our inspirations are radiantly apparent, and times where it feels like it has suddenly disappeared. I feel like what’s good about “Yet…” is great – but at the same time, I feel like those moments are the rare spots in the song. Metaphorically, that seems to be the case with the album overall…which kind of gives its balance an inverse effect that feels like the so-so stuff is the more dominant trait, as opposed to the other way around. Knowing what I know about how much more Blunt Objects is scheduled to be released this year…I’d be lying by omission if I didn’t note my concern about that. Quite often, when we enter into a somewhat lackluster phase, it’s because we’re not taking the time required to turn what’s good into gold…we need that time and perspective to create our very best. “Yet…” gets fairly close to what I like about Blunt Objects in its poetic observations & uniqueness overall, but I still think that Bill’s got more in the tank than he’s revealing to us in this song & the album’s lineup.
What I can tell you, is that Owens is a smart guy – and he’ll figure it out as he goes. I think deep down he knows he’s gotta switch things up a bit more so that there are more distinct differences in his own delivery. Case in-point, when you hear the music on the final track “Numb,” that should have been his cue to do something different than he’s already done, or go where the music is taking him more than he has been. Where things get tough is in the formulaic way you know he’s going to approach the vocals, even if we might love what he has to say lyrically. When you hear the increased energy in the music or the melody enhanced like we do on “Numb,” our ears naturally desire for Bill to work with that, rather than deliver a performance that could practically be interchanged with many other tunes. As it stands, it feels like he’s leaving it to the backing vocals to establish the differences he’s supposed to be making through the lead…and I can’t say for sure that it’s going to be enough for those out there listening. I do think that “Numb” is one of the album’s better tunes, for the record…but yeah…I’m still not convinced that it’s furthering the legacy of Blunt Objects so much as it’s another tune to add to the ol’ catalog is all. I suspect that Bill’s got himself a way of doing things that he’s been able to rely upon, and with respect to that, I’d still tell ya that if you’re a Blunt Objects fan, you’ll still find more of what you like in this set of songs, somewhere. We all need to be pushed creatively out of that comfort zone we end up in though, and at some point, I seem to have been elected to be THAT guy that’ll tell you when it’s time. It’s a bit of a mix this time around for the set-list on NUMB, but I’m still a big fan and believe in what Blunt Objects can do.
Find out more about Blunt Objects from the official website at: https://bluntobjects.bandzoogle.com
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