Weird thing about that song, I read in the Chronicle that KUTX had taken it out of the rotation during the pandemic lockdown thing, and then some people got pissed off that they were removing the song because of people's feelings. Everything is so damn weird right now, and everyone gets offended by everything. So annoying. Anyway, I don't think these lyrics are especially painful or anything, I guess it was just to avoid having people hear that they should be afraid (even if the next lyric is to "do it anyway").
"It Gets Easier" is a wild song, about his struggles with alcoholism, and some dreams he still has about drinking. The chorus starts "It gets easier, but it never gets easy." Which I expect is a very true thing, about any addiction. The other killer line in there is about his daughter's eyes when she's ashamed of her dad. Ooof. Anyway, this sort of songwriting, where you can see the scene and feel the emotions of it all, is so good. It's just a necessary thing we need in the world, versus a rapper taking four seconds to figure out that bitch rhymes with bitch. I've been going back to this album again and again while on lockdown here at the house, and its super good.
Car Seat Headrest - Making a Door Less Open. This one lands out of left field, a little bit. I really dig this guy - this last album with "Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales was magic - but this album literally includes an EDM beat drop ("Deadlines (Thoughtful)") to go along with his normal indie rock tunes. At first, that track sounds more like an LCD Soundsystem tune, before the true EDM-ness pops in. Which, at first, was a major turnoff, and now that I've heard it a few more times, got me kind of fired up. I just danced so hard in my crappy home office chair I worried it might crack. Same with "Famous," where at first the heavy electronics pushed me away, but after repeat streams I've started grooving it. But he still does good rock and roll licks, like the opening to "Hollywood," which I want to tattoo on my eardrum. And "Deadlines (Hostile)" is back to the normal bashing indie rock that he did so well on his previous disc. I figured that "Must Be More Than Blood" would be the hit track, with its loopy, laid back sound, but it's actually "Can't Cool Me Down," which feels like something Napoleon Dynamite should do a sweet dance routine to.
"Whats With You Lately" is odd, in that its like a minute long and sounds like an out-of-place b-side from a Grave Dancer's Union session. The one that goes a little too much on the electro side is "Hymn - Remix," which I could do without here. But overall, I really like this album. I keep going back to start it over instead of listening to the next album in the queue.
The 1975 - Notes on a Conditional Form. These guys juked me. The single I have been listening to for a few weeks is awesomely schlocky 80's sex-party anthem gold. Heavy on the sax. "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" belongs on a John Hughes soundtrack (except for the modern mentions of things like being online) and pretty much jams. BUT, then I fire up the whole album, which is like nine hours of splatter painting through every genre known to man and loads of high-level pretension. I mean, the opening track is a kid talking for like 5 minutes over a plinky little track - its like a child wanted to copy Radiohead and this was the best she could do. I've read online that this is Greta Thunberg throwing down her climate control speech action, so I'm sure I'd get shouted down for calling this stupid, but to open an entire album of pop with this is lame. And then the third song is a cinematic, symphonic instrumental called "The End (Music for Cars)" and I want to barf (even if the song is quite pretty). "The Birthday Party" is like a John Mayer song without the great guitar solo. "Shiny Collarbone" has some world music flavors going on with a cool instrumental beat. "Me & You Together Song" sounds like a sunny brit pop song from the 90's. There is a song on here named "Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America" - which is quite pretty - but that title, man. Also, and I know I'm whining a lot here, its freaking an hour and twenty minute long. GTFOH - clean that noise up, kids.
The top track is surprisingly not that awesome Too Shy track, but instead that sunny brit pop of "Me & You Together Song." 23.3 million streams.
I like that song, and I like "If You're Too Shy," and some of the other songs are pleasant, but as a full album, this thing is way to fat and way to pretentious for me to hold around for good.
Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters. This album is already behind the eight-ball for me, since it is the first album for Pitchfork to give a 10.0 rating to in like ten years. C'mon man. On the one hand, I understand that a numbered rating system is inherently dumb - what is really the difference between a 6.6. and a 6.8? A 6.8 and a 8.2? It's just one person's subjective decision that some editor rubber stamps to attract more clicks. But still, Pitchfork continues to hold some sway in the Internet music world, and them giving a perfection vote for this disc is news.
So, the actual music is kind of wildly weird. There is nothing on here that looks like a hit, or a radio friendly single, or even something fun to add to a mix. I heard "Shameika" on the radio the other day, and near the end, when it devolves into an aggravating stew of noise, I had to just switch the station. But some of them, I'm thinking right now of "Under the Table," have great confessional lyrics and imagery that is legitimately good. "Kick me under the table all you want, I won't shut up" or "that fancy wine won't put this fire out" (related to a fancy dinner party she hates going to). The actual top song on the album is the first song, which I always attribute to people giving it a taste to see what the new shiny thing is like, and then moving on without listening to the rest of the album. But, in case it is the undisputed hit on here, this is "I Want You to Love Me."
Starts out weird, then a pretty traditional piano-based indie track. And definitely has her normal vocal tone - sounds like Fiona Apple both in voice and in those odd piano phrasings (which I like right up until she starts having a vocal dolphin orgy near the end). "Relay" makes me think of some band that came to ACL a few years ago that I just couldn't stand - Can't recall the name of it, but I just remember a lot of random, messy percussion and mental overload. Other songs are fine - "Rack of His," or " But it seems like most songs have a portion where she just decides to scream or bang on shit or something to ruin anything nice she might have built previously. I will not hold on to this album.
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