...is "The Bastards"
"The Bastards" is an album of b-sides by one of my favorite bands, Radical Face.
Freak, man. This album gives me the feels. I cried once while listening to this. Its themes of family, loss, and finality pull at your heart strings like a bell-boy on Sunday morning. In this case, I'm referring to a bell-boy as one of those catholic deacons that pull ropes that make church bells ding. Not like, a boy that takes your luggage at a hotel. That wouldn't make sense.
For you to understand the gravity of my recommendation of this song, you must understand my tastes in music. I like: very loud rock music, fast/complicated math-rock, and super in-your-face drums and guitars that rip riffs. For days.
Freak, man. This album gives me the feels. I cried once while listening to this. Its themes of family, loss, and finality pull at your heart strings like a bell-boy on Sunday morning. In this case, I'm referring to a bell-boy as one of those catholic deacons that pull ropes that make church bells ding. Not like, a boy that takes your luggage at a hotel. That wouldn't make sense.
For you to understand the gravity of my recommendation of this song, you must understand my tastes in music. I like: very loud rock music, fast/complicated math-rock, and super in-your-face drums and guitars that rip riffs. For days.
Generally speaking, I tend to dislike: piano driven ballady... ballads, songs with no drums, and chill, un-engaging vocals.
SO. When I say that one my favorite records is
and give this record a spin.
In any case, what draws me to this record are the lyrics. (The lyrics are part of a bigger story from the other 3 "Family Tree" albums that I'm unfamiliar with, but that's not important.) Each song tells a chapter of someone's life that is fascinating in and of itself.
Much of the album is straight up sad. Well maybe 'sad' isn't the best word for it.. a better word is real. The words paint a picture of what life is, not how we would like it to be. Which, depending on your life, can be hard and full of tragedy. So when you listen to the diary of a fictional character in the song "Second Family Portrait" talking about how his schizophrenia caused his mother to fear him and put him up in a home, your heart breaks. It doesn't end in sunshine, it just... ends. That's just how life was for that person. It's extremely sobering and makes my empathy brain-parts weep.
The music and orchestration is gorgeous. The drums are minimal but they are perfect. Any more drums and it would detract from the song. The old-timey sound effects of doors creaking and knocking on wood add a layer of realism and spookiness. The guitars and piano and string section make the 1800's vibes visceral. His quiet, unassuming vocals make the album conversational; it adds to the story-telling dimension of Radical Face's music.
It is very very good and if you like it you'll love Radical Face's other 3 "Family Tree" albums.
- the b-sides
- from 3 folk albums
- that feature very minimal drums,
- laid-back, unassuming vocals,
- loads of piano driven ballady ballads, and
- lyrical content set in the mid 1800's,
you should be like
and give this record a spin.
In any case, what draws me to this record are the lyrics. (The lyrics are part of a bigger story from the other 3 "Family Tree" albums that I'm unfamiliar with, but that's not important.) Each song tells a chapter of someone's life that is fascinating in and of itself.
Much of the album is straight up sad. Well maybe 'sad' isn't the best word for it.. a better word is real. The words paint a picture of what life is, not how we would like it to be. Which, depending on your life, can be hard and full of tragedy. So when you listen to the diary of a fictional character in the song "Second Family Portrait" talking about how his schizophrenia caused his mother to fear him and put him up in a home, your heart breaks. It doesn't end in sunshine, it just... ends. That's just how life was for that person. It's extremely sobering and makes my empathy brain-parts weep.
The music and orchestration is gorgeous. The drums are minimal but they are perfect. Any more drums and it would detract from the song. The old-timey sound effects of doors creaking and knocking on wood add a layer of realism and spookiness. The guitars and piano and string section make the 1800's vibes visceral. His quiet, unassuming vocals make the album conversational; it adds to the story-telling dimension of Radical Face's music.
It is very very good and if you like it you'll love Radical Face's other 3 "Family Tree" albums.
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