When I started writing this review of Chicago post-punks Model Living‘s new album, The Wall (not a Pink Floyd cover album), my brain (and autocorrect) initially wanted to write their name as Modern Living. As I listened to The Wall, I realized this wasn’t just a mistake, but rather some subtle subconscious message I’d received because The Wall is all about modern living and how bizarre it is.
Take opening track “Tire Pile” for example. It’s all frantic beats from Nico Ciani and weird saxophone honks from Sarah Clausen while lead singer Geoff Daniels delivers some kind of weird dissertation on chaos happening around us while we’re just trying to get a good cup of coffee or make it to a job we don’t necessarily love but think is enough for now. The bass groove on “Interest” is like a hidden gem that you realize carries the entire track while Daniels wonders why we’re all so interested in everyone else’s attention.
“Model Life (Car version)” has a great line: “Our future will arrive wearing the carcass of things that you liked.” #Truth. Jay Martinez‘s guitar work on “World of Minds” is sharp, sounding sparse in the right moments and like a growling dog in others. The title of “Head of Talent” could be read a couple ways. It could refer to someone who runs a talent agency or is response for coordinating performances at a event. It could also refer to someone who thinks they have a head full of talent, but everyone else knows otherwise. Judging from Daniels’ snappy lyrics about someone who’s trying to achieve something they can’t define, I think it’s the latter. It blends right into “& Enrichment,” which is a sizzler about looking for meaning in one’s life (“I would like to think that I would lay my life down if someone could just tell me where and when to lay my life down.”).
Then comes the appropriately named “Powerful Construction Trucks & Machinery Not to Be Missed,” which runs over you like a backhoe. The wild, weird groove of “Purchase I & II” is anchored by Matt Ciani‘s bass work. “Document” is a fast, almost pure punk growler, and then we get “Backwards Racer.” It’s over thirteen minutes of strange post-psych-kraut-drone-punk that’s difficult to describe but completely fascinating to hear. The album ends with “Scoreboard,” which is sort of an epilogue to “Tire Pile.”
This is sharp post-punk and an eye-opener to the madness around us while we’re just trying to do our thing and not get caught up in it.
Keep your mind open.
[I’ll feel like I’m model living if you subscribe.]
[Thanks to Geoff of Model Living!]