Blunt Objects – Sharper Than Some
Blunt Objects – Sharper Than Some – Album Review
Ayyyy there we go! I’ve been consistently saying that Bill Owens has been choosing some strange tunes to start his records with in his band Blunt Objects, but “Let’s Have Fun!” at the beginning of Sharper Than Some is a track I don’t think many people out there could refuse. I mean…don’t get me wrong, he still gets a lil’ crazy with it around the 2:40 mark, and it does start with my arch nemesis of hand claps – but even in considering those two factors, I still think this first track will have no problem winning its case in the court of public opinion. It’s a strong performance for Bill’s vocals, the melody is superb and inviting, and the lyricism is cleverly self-reflective. I really dig what’s been taking shape in Blunt Objects over this past year or so, and it’s been great getting to know the whole catalog. You might find insightful wisdom in one moment, and that the next makes you chuckle from cleverness…Bill seems to be the kind of guy that goes where the music takes him, and as such, the inspirations & themes continually vary. For myself personally, that’s been a wonderful part of listening to this band…I never know what to expect. Even now, while I thought for the most part that Blunt Objects was likely going to start every record on a fairly weird choice for a first tune, Sharper Than Some reveals a track that’s largely universal instead. It’s a dreamers tune…highlighting the possibility and potential for you to get in on the fun in multiple ways.
You can already hear the progression in between the first record and the second if you ask me…Sharper Than Some instantly starts revealing a penchant for making melody a consistent priority. The songwriting is truly impressive – “I’m Not There” is another stellar example of how Blunt Objects is still able to be something you’d find on the fringe, yet appeal to the masses as well. All-in-all, Bill actually sounds a whole lot like that dude from Editors at times on this track…Tom Smith…especially as this song begins. I’ve made comparisons to The National in writing about Blunt Objects in the past as well already – and both of those names are found on my personal playlists more often than not. Which in itself, is kind of funny…I wouldn’t necessarily say that Matt from the National, Tom from Editors, or even Bill himself would qualify as the world’s best technical singers…but could very much be on a list of the most real. These are folks that are not only exemplary songwriters overall, but they also have an incredible grip on how to maximize the effect of some of the smallest moments & significant details in the melodies they create. As in, sometimes it’s the tiniest bending of a note or raising of a tone that seems to make this like…freakishly profound difference, and ends up making something we’re hearing so much more endearing and memorable than any typical hook could ever be. Make sense? Clear as mud? Whatever. All I can say is that if you get what I’m saying, you’ll love what you hear in Bill’s vocals. I think he did a spectacular job in singing “I’m Not There” – he brings such a natural passion to the way that he sings…possesses a wisdom that draws you in…and a tangible uniqueness that is truly captivating.
Album layout can be a huge asset to the way things are received by listeners too. “Need To Know” seems almost like it carries on right from where the melody of “I’m Not There” leaves you…and tiny things like that can end up becoming really pivotal for the fluidity of a record, and especially at the start. Now…that being said…I don’t know that I’d go as far as to claim that “Need To Know” is quite as strong as the first two tracks are…it does seem like it’s wandering a bit in search of where the real hooks are to be found…but the music is cleverly designed and Bill always has something extraordinary to say to ya, so I still ended up finding plenty of reasons to dig on this track too. My personal interpretation of Blunt Objects has always put this band on the more artistic side of the scale when it comes to the music being made anyhow…so I think there’s a bit more leeway in what the fans & audience will accept too. We know as fans of Blunt Objects that shiny sing-along hooks aren’t always going to be the priority, and in place of that, is pretty much always something you’d describe as interesting or engaging instead. I like that Bill takes on perception and these massively huge conceptual ideas that are basically beyond our comprehension, and then turns everything back towards us, asking “what do you need to know?/what do you need to see?” as if some kind of firsthand knowledge would somehow change a monumental part of the universe surrounding us. The answer is actually staring right back at us…we don’t need to know anything…we don’t need to see things for ourselves…this rock is gonna keep on turning no matter what, and chances are, no matter what the issue is or may be one day, that’s still always going to be the case.
There it is. “I Like To Walk” is the track I would have normally thought would have ended up as the first thing we heard on a Blunt Objects record. Did he really just call Socrates ‘Hypocrates?’ By George, I think he did! And who am I to disagree without reading a whole buttload of philosophy books that I haven’t cracked in years. Anyhow. So…hmm…how do I put this to you folks? “I Like To Walk” is probably loaded with more fact-based information than you’re going to hear in the vast majority of anything that you’ll ever listen to. Honestly, it should instantly get you laughing…”I Like To Walk” is about exactly what you think it would be about…and it’s complete with real definitions pulled from Wikipedia and other facts about walking that you’d never think you’d have ever learned…and so…I mean…if learning about walking is your jam, you are in for a TREAT ladies and gentlemen. Listen…I’ll be real with ya – I know what the effect of these tunes tends to be over the course of time…once you’re in on the joke, it’s tough to reach that same impact with each subsequent experience with it…but those first handful of spins will really make an impression on everyone checking it out. You know what just occurred to me though? Listening to Blunt Objects on “I Like To Walk” – the most apt comparison I can actually think of is one that I don’t think I’ve ever written in-print before…Bill actually reminds me a lot of King Missile. I spent years immersed in their alternative-poetry and sonic weirdness…and I’m kind of shocked that the comparison has escaped me until right at this very moment…but that’s very much what “I Like To Walk” is like to experience. Bonus points for the real-time conversation taking place with Sebastian the dog.
Don’t get me wrong…I’m always an advocate on behalf of the artistic side of the scene & fully protective of it too. I think it’s crucial to experiment and try things out with the music you make…it’s literally how we discover what we can and can’t do! Having said that…not everything we do is gonna work, and when we’re first starting out, a more noticeable lack of the brutality of real objectivity is almost always found. Like…for myself…I can totally get behind something along the lines of “I Like To Walk” even though I clearly get it ain’t gonna be for everyone…it’s got an idea, and the commitment is there. “Walk Away” has half of that recipe in my opinion…this track is essentially all commitment, and I’m not so sure there’s an idea that was completely worth pursuing to the degree that Bill has chosen to on this one. From the repetitive nature of the music, to the length of the tune, to the concept in the lyricism…I mean…it’s kind of like the theme of Seinfeld in sonic form – this is a song about nothing. There is no there there, as they say…and right in the middle of a nine track lineup…I’m not sure there’s anywhere for “Walk Away” to hide. Ha! What a jerk I am, right? I assure you…I ain’t saying anything to ever be outright cruel – but I’d be lying by omission if I didn’t mention the fact that real criticism lends itself to establish real credibility. As in, at the very least, Bill knows where I stand…and if I say something is great, then I really mean that.
Like, for instance, I really think the main core message of “Lonely’s Not The Same As Alone” is another remarkably profound and insightful piece of writing from Bill…and there’s really only so many people that’ll truly get what he means by what he’s saying in this song. If you’ve ever felt like you’re surrounded by a whole bunch of great people, or even just one great person, and yet, the experience is still somehow devoid of the meaning you were hoping for…chances are, you’ll get what Owens is saying on this track. I have a foot firmly in both worlds here, so lemme try to explain. I am alone all day long, almost every day, with the exception of the fact that my wife eventually comes home from work, and I’ve got a dog & a cat. Other than that, it’s me, by my lonesome, all day, every day – which is how I truly prefer things to be…for the most part. What made me LONELY, was other people…but it was never a feeling that was caused by my being alone. You following? Take sleepingbagstudios for example…this place I carved out to call home. Originally, it was designed with a whole bunch of my homies in mind – I thought I had it all mapped out, but “despite all plans and expectations, sometimes nothing goes as planned.” I was surrounded by people that didn’t have the share the same vision or have the drive that I had to make this random adventure last a lifetime…these people were all my best friends, and I’d never found myself feeling lonelier than I did in realizing we weren’t anywhere close to being on the same page. So yes…”Lonely’s Not The Same As Alone” – I’ll happily be alone all day long and would willingly be that for the rest of my life if the only other option is being lonely…I never want to feel that way again. I like tracks like this in the Blunt Objects catalog though…I get that it might not be for everyone in terms of its artistic nature and hooks being within the concept itself, but yeah…for what it’s worth, I hear ya Bill, I dig it, and I clearly couldn’t agree more. “Lonely’s Not The Same As Alone.” He’s right – nuff said.
“Desperate Man” probably wins the award for being the most potentially…creepy? Honestly, it’s a much tougher track to suss out for the true meaning behind it all…it could be a genuine confession of a dude that’s simply looking for a little friendship, or it could very well be the true anthem for the next stalker’s convention…and it’s kind of impossible to say which it would be for sure. There’s points of where you’ll listen to “Desperate Man” and think that it’s got an odd sweetness to it…but there are also times where you’ll listen to this tune and feel like its main character is a bit over the line in terms of how much he seems to need attention. I feel like it’s more intended to be on the stalker-side of my possible theories based on how strange and warped the sound of this song becomes as it plays on, and the intentionally shaky way that Bill sings it like he’s gonna need a mop and bucket for the sheet of sweat upon his brow. As to what makes this song come straight outta left field and end up on the record where it seems like it’s the only track that goes into this kind of concept…only Bill knows the answer to that part, and I’m not entirely sure there’s really an explanation beyond Blunt Objects still being fairly new at the stage this record was released. I’d be the first to tell ya that ”Desperate Man” is a fun listen, but a weird inclusion.
Sharper Than Some seems to shed its most accessible moments very early on in this lineup of tunes…I’d say you’ll find the most universal potential in the opening two tracks, and from there on in, it seems like Bill’s almost actively pushing harder against bringing people in than giving them a reason to stick with it. You’ve got moments like where we learn about what walking can do for us on “I Like To Walk,” you’ve got moments like “Walk Away” that are very tough to justify, tracks like “Desperate Man” that would be largely interpreted as the wrong kind of strange, and even moments like “Lonely’s Not The Same As Alone” where the hooks and what would pull in listeners is anything but typical or familiar. “Hungry” is gonna be in that sea of strangeness too…those low-down growling notes from Bill come out practically cannibalistic…and like…I’m not saying that slipping into a character isn’t a good idea from time to time, I’m just saying that after listening to “Hungry,” I will no longer be showing up to Bill’s place without supervision. Maybe it was watching Dahmer on Netflix this year…maybe it’s the amount of tasting going on in this particular tune…but…yeah man…where are we going with this record Bill? The ambiguous and interpretive nature of “Desperate Man” & “Hungry” back to back is definitely…something to experience? So…yeah…I suppose it’s probably up to Bill to decide how much of that commentary was what he was going for versus how much of that is not at all what he was looking to communicate, and then go from there. Like any other recipe, you try to perfect what you create. Taste it once, then add some salt, and then taste it again and…actually…maybe no more tasting for now…this analogy has got me weirded out.
While I don’t know that “Aya” is quite enough to shake the odd feeling of the two previous tracks in-full, there are some zen-like, meditative qualities to this track that are unique to this record and the Blunt Objects catalog. In reality, I’m not really here nor there with this particular exploration into a sound like this…but I do think there’s potential to develop this kind of vibe even further and there could be something significant. I think it’s a bit tougher to go back in the sweet direction after what we’ve heard in the tracks right beforehand…which, to be fair to Bill, I think are intended to be sweet too…but yeah – I’m not so convinced that’s how they’re going to be perceived or how their themes will be taken by the masses listening out there. Could just be me…I’m always the first to admit that I could be the strangest one of all, and maybe it’s just how I’m hearing something…but yeah…to me, the effect of “Desperate Man” and “Hungry” made it much tougher to adjust to the delicate vibes of “Aya” and what I’d assume is an intentionally gentle sweetness to finish off Sharper Than Some. I’d say I probably like the aura of the chorus in this tune the most…but I’m still not quite sure that’d be enough to send me running back to it. I like the artistic dimensions it adds to the diversity in this lineup of tunes…I’m not always sure about having all the layers of the vocals together and/or whether or not they clash a bit more than desired…I like the uniqueness it possesses…but I’m not sure that all the potential of a track like this has been realized either. I’m impartial, but not indifferent…I guess that’s what I’m getting at. I could likely take it or leave it right now, but I’d definitely encourage Bill to explore more in this particular direction too…because there is something here, I’m just not entirely sure what it is. I think Sharper Than Some is probably the most unpredictable record from Blunt Objects that I’ve heard so far…some of that is great, and some of that works against it as well…but I’d definitely still be interested in hearing more after this.
Listen to more music by Blunt Objects at Bandcamp here: https://bluntobjects.bandcamp.com
Find out what we do & how we do it at sleepingbagstudios, and be the next up on our pages by clicking here!
