The Spice Lads With Blunt Objects – Edible Barista

The Spice Lads With Blunt Objects – Edible Barista – EP Review

Ohhhh boy…what are these two up to now?

We last heard from this collaboration back in March this year, when The Spice Lads released the Astounding Things EP with Blunt Objects, and these Minor Miners are back already with a new record just a mere two months later to the day on these pages of ours.  I’ll fully admit, as “Missing You” started up this shiny new set-list and its clicks and beeps and whirs and hums started clicking, beeping, whirring, and humming…the adventurous nature of the music brought an instant smile to my face.  This project shared between Bill Owens of Blunt Objects and Jim Waters, aka the singular entity in plural form as The Spice Lads, have proven quickly to be anything but typical, and they remain true to form in that regard here as Edible Barista opens up.  From what I understand, Jim essentially builds the foundation, Bill finds a way to take it too far by adding in the kitchen sink, and then it’s Jim’s job to reel everything back in somewhat after Owens has tinkered with things.  Yin and yang, you know?  They do their best to balance things out as best they can between them while existing outside of the framework of what most folks would expect to find on their playlists.  “Missing You” is a fair representation of what these two like to create, and for the most part I feel like it actually works pretty well, almost despite its proudly anti-typical design.  There’s a solid chance that the average everyday listener is going to put this on and have the WTF reaction, because it does sound like we’ve somewhat wandered in on Bill singing to himself whilst out on his rocking chair on the porch, not really worrying so much if there’s a real melody to sing along with, or if anyone is around within earshot to hear what he’s singing about.  So, sure…I’ll readily concede, it’s kind of like listening to Owens roaming around in search of a song a little, but there’s also a drifting dream-like quality that really works to the benefit of a strange combination like this.  You’ll also find a quality hook in the core melody of the music as well, behind all the clicks and beeps, which also ends up being a whole lot more addictive than you’ll assume it is at first.  Within a couple of spins, you’ll get a whole lot more attached to it, and you’ll be able to appreciate the way this vividly detailed set of memories drifts through layers of nostalgic lyricism in effort to recall the good times through the fog.

I feel like it’s pretty apparent that The Spice Lads and Blunt Objects aren’t really interested in making accessibility the main focus or priority, so much as making art for art’s sake.  I listen to a track like “Waiting…” and feel like they’re stacking the odds against themselves perhaps more than they realize, but I could be completely wrong about that.  As you listen to it, you’ll hear what I’m talking about – you’ll find moments where this collaboration seems to be perfectly in lockstep, and you’ll find other moments in the melody where you’ll probably feel like they could make life a whole lot easier on themselves by really tuning into what the other is doing.  Like, the example I can give you, is that there’s a descending melody in the synth sounds in the background that often proves to be a tough pairing with the way that Bill has chosen to sing the song…pieces of the melody and tones line up, and some of them clash.  It’s not a case where you HAVE to go along with where the music is leading you – there are really no technical rules on HOW we go about making the music we make…but by the same token, you don’t want something to come off like one half of the collaboration is completely disregarding what the other is doing just to add another layer on top either, make sense?  It’s not until that second run through on the chorus of “Waiting…” comes in around the halfway point that I felt like this song was really starting to find the ground beneath it to become a bit more stable.  For the adventurous out there, or those that are curious & hungry for something off the beaten path…I’m pretty confident you’ll find something to marvel at in this new EP, but for the rest of you, The Spice Lads & Blunt Objects ain’t makin’ it easy on ya.  Things are feeling a little bit forced so far in the first two songs…even though there’s a naturally organic vibe in the way Bill sings, “Waiting…” and “Missing You” feel a bit like they’re banging the square peg through the round hole.  It’s interesting stuff without a doubt…but indeed, still a tough sell overall.

To be completely fair, their energy IS above a complete flatline…so there’s that.  I’ll be real with ya though – I don’t think that’s really what they’re going for or probably intended…I think it might be something they’ll realize occurred here in retrospect.  As “Loud Silence” came on, I felt like we were somehow missing that inspired spark that we know and love from The Spice Lads and Blunt Objects a bit more than we should be.  “Good enough is good enough for me” – for the most part, I agree with what Bill is bringing up here…that’s the way things should be dammit!  Having said that, once you put something out from your private reserve stock into the public sphere, you’re going to find out whether or not what’s good enough for YOU is good enough for anyone else, or if good enough is a high enough goal to be setting in that regard.  So far, I’m hearing a whole lot of risk on Edible Barista that feels a lot like a passion project that’s not considering the potential audience as much as it maybe should be.  Like I was saying, it’s one thing to do what you wanna do – I’m all for that – but if you’re putting things out there for public consumption, that becomes another story.  I’ve always been objective and as truthful with Bill & Jim as I have been with anyone else that ends up on these pages of ours…I know they’ve got more in the tank than they’re sharing with us on “Loud Silence” and/or the rest of Edible Barista so far.  I don’t mind what I’m hearing on a personal level, but I’m not really hearing a reason to return for the rest of the folks out there…Edible Barista is proving to be a bit more than what most can handle by doing a bit less than it should be to keep the ears out there as engaged and entertained as they could be.  I think they’re doing some neat stuff with the innovative ideas they’re putting into the smallest details, but they’re kind of missing the bigger ones that are required to generate the interest we all wanna hear.

Hmmm…yeahhhh.  I gotta be real with the guys – I’m not too convinced this is the EP they were hoping for this time around.  I’m usually all for the weirdness of both The Spice Lads and Blunt Objects, and especially when they get together…but as “…So Sad” finished off Edible Barista, I had to acknowledge that something really feels missing here.  I’d say there’s a good chance that “…So Sad” is probably my favorite on the record, but I kind of feel like I’m searching to justify a favorite by splitting hairs a bit too, you know what I mean?  If anything, the EP is highly consistent in being a bit deficient…there’s no real standout tune in the set, so it’s really about what might appeal to you just a little more than the rest I guess.  I like the forlorn lament in the lyricism of “…So Sad” and how it basically tells us are bones are going to turn to some kind of jelly human-goo from a nuclear blast soon enough, and that we won’t really feel it when we’re “vaporized” into oblivion.  You know, the kind of comforting and heartwarming theme that you’d expect from Bill Owens.  All-in-all, I feel like they get closer to the mark on “…So Sad” even if I’m not entirely sure they hit it completely.  I like a lot of the way that Bill sings this one, I like a lot of the melodic choices in the space-like melody that plays like some kind of twisted mobile hanging above our planet.  I like the short inclusion of the spoken word and would have loved to have had a few more moments of that.  I like the strange like…kettle-whistle-esque sound that creeps up in the music and the odd poetic observations of Blunt Objects doing Blunt Objects things too – but…yeah man – it’s not going to be easy for them to bring the folks into listen this time around, that’s the objective reality they’re facing with these four songs, in my opinion.  That being said, their fan-base is likely more than accustomed to their endearing strangeness by now, so who knows – this might be exactly what they’re looking for.  I’m gonna push back a bit on this one myself…I think they’re capable of more than they’re revealing on the Edible Barista EP, and I reckon it’s my job to challenge them to live up to their potential.

It’s always going to be up to them on whether they’re making music for them, for us, or for the sake of simply making more and keeping busy…just keep in mind that once something ends up in the court of public opinion, they’ll happily render their verdict, and you’ll have to live with that forever, pass or fail.  Gotta call things like I hear’em as I always do – Edible Barista is a little wide of the mark for this collaboration and what we know they can create, but word on the street is that there is plenty more music to come from them in 2024 and lots of time to steer their ship back on course.

Find out more about Blunt Objects from the official website at:  https://bluntobjects.bandzoogle.com

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