Thelonesomekid – Iamthelonesomekid
Thelonesomekid – Iamthelonesomekid – Album Review
Oh no. I love this. I can’t stop loving this. It’s a combination of true ART…incredible sounds, innovative ideas and…and…ummm…and…
…wait a minute. What the fuck is a ‘slurl?’
Actually scrap that. I can tell you. It’s just flat out awesome. “Slurls In The Nest,” is the opening track that starts out this latest album from Thelonesomekid, and it’s a flat-out track for the 10% of us out there that truly like to get weird in music, myself of course included. It sounds like a female-driven PAVEMENT though…how could I NOT love and respect that? Everything from the lyrics, to the delivery, to the music itself…it pulses with that same unexpected comfort I could always find in the genius mind of Stephen Malkmus’ music, and now here we seem to have the female counterpart.
Plus I got a real amount of large-love for any band willing to call someone out on their “gutless embroidery.” Those passionless grannies have had their reign run on for far too long.
All direct-quotes and kidding aside, I really dig this kind of art/music performance piece. There’s a dramatic element of Thelonesomekid that runs deep throughout this album; wonderfully made, it truly will keep you guessing the entire time. But the passion in the performance is unmistakable – just listen to “My Bed,” for instance…not only is Gretchen Seichrist giving a highlight, committed performance early on into the album, but the guitars to go with it are just beautiful in tone.
“Night Shade,” puts me right back to the Pavement reference…there literally has to be an influence of that legendary ‘slacker-rock’ style on this band…it sounds unmistakable to me! Wherever it comes from…Pavement is long-dead and I’m quite happy to have something like this that takes that alt-pop-rock-indie thang and carrying on this sound. I’ve always appreciated the tender moments in that kind of music…those spots where someone like Seichrist connects at the sweet-spots of the song; and “Night Shade” is packed full of those.
“The Heartfelt News” will blow your mind out, be warned. With its sleek & subtle beginning, this track is about to rock your world…seriously…watch your volume knobs…
That being said, make sure you’ve got this one up extremely loud cause it fuckin rocks. Seichrist sounds almost TOO at home in the middle of this punk-rock induced psychedelic freak-out. Again, I absolutely love what’s going on in this track…she’s losing her mind and completely in the moment of this song…such a committed performer it really blows my mind. There’s a Karen O-style fury and attack on the vocals…early punked out Yeah Yeah Yeahs that kind of creeps in here… It’s the longest track on the album at nearly seven minutes long…and in all its insanity, what else can I say but MAN I wish it was TWICE as long.
Are other people getting this? Do YOU get this? I mean, I absolutely LOVE this…but I really don’t know what the ‘average’ music-listener would think. I think you can hear the control and the mastery in the musicianship here, but most importantly the creativity and innovation. This is a band that is really putting an effort into doing something new, despite any comparisons I’ve made…and they’re pulling it off brilliantly.
The low-pulsing bass-led rhythm of “Thelonesomekid” shows another interesting direction this band can choose to take their music. Trading off lead vocals, there’s more of a harmony-focused aspect on this track to go with this excellent, like, spy-style guitar-line. This one comes out sounding like its shrouded in an extra layer of mystery, as if this project needed one!
Now…there are songs…and there’s stuff that stops and makes you sit still, and just listen…no matter what you’re doing. “Baby Me,” is that song for me. With an incredible piano-led melody…or keyboards, whatever, you’ll know what I mean right away…this song just absolutely melts a heart from its sickly-sweet tone. Combine that with Gretchen’s signature swagger & style, as this track builds it takes on a completely new life, into almost like, Jesus & Mary Chain or Mazzy Star territory, perhaps even something R.E.M. would have written one night at the bar. It’s a phenomenal combination of sound-meets-style that just continues to build, burst and explode in a subtle-pop bliss that I just can’t get enough of. MAN does this track WORK!
As an ending to the album, they bring up the dramatics again with the final track “Hastings.” Big, big drum sounds shake like thunder as the piano drifts along hazily beside Gretchen and her incredible lyrical-poetry in this dark & beautiful melody. There’s a finality that comes with this well placed song…a real feeling that the mission has been accomplished when you reach its end. With the limitless possibilities of this band, it was kind of them to place a song that feels like the curtains are literally coming down on top of us at the end here.
Consider me a regular listener to Thelonesomekid from this point on. I’m more than interested in this unique display of art & music and I already can’t wait to see and hear what they might come up with next through their incredible instincts and gift for going the other direction to do something NEW with music.. They’ve put together a project with real strength here; don’t be surprised if it pulls you over to their side.
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