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I was a tunnel
I took a little
And all of my inhibitions washed away
With the tide
No turning around
I never settle (I said it)
Listen to metal (as if i get it)
And I will wait in the fading ember light
For you there
No turning around
(I was alone when the feeling started)
Don’t take it so bad
(Broken bones with a strip of metal across them)
Is it the best I ever had
Back in the Big Train days we used to fight for it
How did I get so lost in here
But if I walk in the rough direction of
Where you are
No turning around
Feel like a stranger to myself
I know it's hard to be around
Don’t know what i was thinking
But you’re the only one
Who could hold it down
Pick up the phone I’m trying to reach ya
Don’t need nobody
Aiming to please ya
Just fine by myself
I miss you bad when you’re not around
Don't’ know what I was thinking
You’re still the only one who could hold it down
Pick up the phone I’m trying to reach ya
Don’t need nobody
Aiming to please ya
Pick up the phone I’m trying to reach ya
Still the only one who could hold it down
Feel like a stranger to myself
I know it's hard to be around
Don’t know what i was thinking
But you’re the only one
Who could hold it down
Pick up the phone I’m trying to reach ya
Don’t need nobody
Aiming to please ya
His only son
It’s not the dream he had in mind for you
You came into this world, a vision
Of another time and place
I guess it’s just as well
I couldn’t get on with your old time religion
And there’s no other way to say it
Its so weird these feelings my heart can’t abide
If you’re feeling sad and lonely
Nights sleepless in your bed
The breaking of the heart
Boy, does it make a sound
My only son,
If everything just fell apart, would it be worth saving?
And is it fair that we can’t know just what you were thinking
When you left us here to sit and contemplate the truth
And speaking of that old lost city,
As it sinks down through the sand
Could it break your heart
Or would it change your mind?
I used to live in faith
But I have been burned and led astray
I had to turn my head away
Just to get some relief
I know some people say
That fortune favors the bold
Mercy prays for the old
But I don't know what to believe
Ordinary voices carry every day
Fortunately never let me get my way
I know what you did
I saw the way you treated the man
And when I needed a hand
You let me twist in the wind
You think I'm talkin shit
And gettin carried away
But I will be dead and buried away
Before I let you back in
Ordinary voices carry every day
Fortunately never let me get my way
Turn the table
When she saw me
Lost a million
Origami
Tunnel vision
Isn't funny
Listen to me
Give me money
Holy Thursday
Your apartment
You come to me with something more important
Broken promise
I'm too tired anyway
about
As Generationals, Grant Widmer and Ted Joyner have been stretching the boundaries of pop music for over a decade. From Con Law, their ebullient 2009 debut, to their adventurous and groove-infused sixth LP from 2019 Reader As Detective, the New Orleans based duo have made songs that are consistently immediate and memorable. Even though their music always sounds effortless, they approach their songwriting with an auteur-like perfectionism: constantly tweaking and fine-tuning their craft. Their latest, the ILEANA EP, is four tracks that showcase the two at their most free and confident, the triumphant product of taking studio risks and welcoming outside voices like songwriter Sarah Jaffe to their writing process.
Following a tour in March 2020, Widmer and Joyner decamped to their respective homes ready to begin writing their next release. Unlike prior albums with this release the goal from the outset was to create as many fragmented ideas as possible. While they quickly compiled dozens of song snippets, a great hook here or a stellar chorus there, piecing these disparate threads together proved to be a challenge. EP highlight “Lost Cities” was the first track to come together from this puzzle-like process. “There were so many versions of that song that I'd almost given up on that track,” said Joyner. “But on one day, pieces of five different demos all collapsed together and became that song. When it comes to writing, you don't get a lot of days like that where everything falls into place and makes sense.”
That track, with its propulsive energy and explosive atmospheric arrangement, felt like lightning in a bottle, a pure distillation of what makes Generationals tick. But as Widmer and Joyner kept writing, they needed another spark. To avoid writer’s block, they decided to welcome another artist they trust: Sarah Jaffe. When the band sent over a demo of what would become “Trying to Reach Ya” to Jaffe, they were floored by what she sent over.
Working with Jaffe gave the band the clarity to understand the songs they were writing and open themselves up to future collaborations.
The driving, garage-rock-inspired “Mercy” fires on all cylinders with visceral energy and pummeling guitar chords while the opener “I Was a Tunnel” showcases the duo’s humor. Over gentle acoustic guitars and bubbling synths, they sing, “I never settle (I said it) / Listen to metal (as if I get it)." All four songs on the EP showcase Joyner and Widmer’s versatility and consistency.
ILEANA is a testament to Generationals’ longevity as well as Joyner and Widmer’s enduring friendship. These are some of the best songs they have ever written with each track revealing surprises and subtle hooks with every listen. “The trajectory of how we’ve gotten to where we are is knowing how to use our voices and how to arrange songs better,” said Widmer. “We feel more confident in what we do seeing Ted grow as a singer and songwriter to something better than we had before is amazing.” The feeling is mutual. “Sometimes with what Grant does, I can see the DNA from what he was doing on our first album but I feel like now he's that much better at it,” said Joyner. “I'd like to think the same thing about myself. We've just become more and more like ourselves. I feel like it's getting closer to the real truth.
As far as indie albums in the 2010's and beyond go, this is one of the most cohesive and emotive albums I've experienced looking back on it and is Jay Som's best album tokyonoir
Polyvinyl is located in Champaign Illinois (one of my former residences), not what you'd think of as a center of musical creativity.
But this album will change your mind. Lots of different genres here, from garage-band stuff to some very polished tracks.
Check it out. You're sure to find something you'll enjoy. SRL
The Seoul-based indie pop duo lean deeper into the interplay between dance and emotion on their second album for Beeline Records. Bandcamp Album of the Day Aug 31, 2023