Review: Gary Wilson – The King of Endicott

Working as both a loving homage to his (in)famous home town of Endicott, New York and as another weird walk through the world of bedroom rock, Gary Wilson’s newest record, The King of Endicott, is another bizarre, romantic, funky, fun piece of work from him.

“Don’t be afraid when I hold your hand,” Wilson sings on the intro of the record as Captain Beefheart-like warped saxophone warbles behind him.  Then “The Town of a Thousand Lights” kicks in with peppy organ and electric drums as Wilson offers to be your tour guide / date for the night in a town he finds as enthralling as Paris.  His vocals are particularly happy throughout it.  It sounds like he’s having a blast.

He’s having a blast on his keyboards on “The Lonely Park,” too, as he sings about taking his girlfriend (Linda?) to a quiet park before it gets too late and before she changes her mind.  The walk continues on “Walking in the Rain Tonight.”  Wilson just wants to hold hands with his girl (Linda?  Karen?) and stroll along as smoothly as his keyboard riffs without a care.  Isn’t that what we all want?

“I Think I’m Falling in Love” has Wilson wondering what’s wrong with his girl (Linda?  Karen?  Debbie?  Sheryl?) as he sees her crying at her own reflection while he declares his love for her (from outside her room, or her house?).  The bouncy beats and keys keep you upbeat despite the sad nature of the tune.  “The king of Endicott is sad tonight,” Wilson sings on the title track.  He’s lonely on another Friday night.  He’s a king without a queen, but he never gives up hope.  Wilson never gives up hope on this or any other record, really.  He’s an eternal optimist, and determined to find love someday.  That’s evidenced on the near-slow jam “I Don’t Want to Be Alone.”

“I Dream of My Secret Girl” could be the title to every one of Wilson’s records, or even his songs, because they all share the theme of unrequited love, being a gentleman despite heartbreak, romance, and thrilling adventure in magical lands – even if that land is as simple as Endicott, New York.  Speaking (again) of Endicott, “Midnight in Endicott” is a recap is a bouncy “part two” of sorts to “I Don’t Want to Be Alone.”

“A Perfect Day in Endicott,” according to Wilson, involves him crying “a million tears” after a friend leaves town, but getting cheered up by his remaining pals after he calls them up on his new telephone and asking if they want to hang out with him (and why wouldn’t you?).  Wilson’s synths on “Mary Walked Away” are positively groove-inducing.  “Another Dimension” is a warped instrumental that borders on dream and nightmare.

“Where did Linda go?” Wilson asks on “It’s Summer Time.”  It’s a question he’s asked for years.  In this instance, Linda has ditched him during a date at the movies.  He tries to remain upbeat with the pleasant weather and all the pretty girls partying at the city pool, but he’s still blue.  The album ends with “Hail to the King” – a pitch-shifting declaration from Endicott’s king that fades out just as Wilson is about to give us a history lesson of the town and probably his heart.  It leaves you with questions, as most of Wilson’s albums do.

Wilson is an odd duck, but he’s a romantic odd duck and that’s why us fans of his love him.  His albums are the soundtracks of loneliness and hope.  He’s the king of not only Endicott, but forlorn lovers everywhere.

Keep your mind open.

[Take a walk over to the subscription box.]

Published by

Nik Havert

I've been a music fan since my parents gave me a record player for Christmas when I was still in grade school. The first record I remember owning was "Sesame Street Disco." I've been a professional writer since 2004, but writing long before that. My first published work was in a middle school literary magazine and was a story about a zoo in which the animals could talk.

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