{"id":4547,"date":"2019-03-05T10:50:17","date_gmt":"2019-03-05T15:50:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.7thlevelmusic.com\/?p=4547"},"modified":"2019-03-05T16:17:27","modified_gmt":"2019-03-05T21:17:27","slug":"review-gary-wilson-the-king-of-endicott","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.7thlevelmusic.com\/?p=4547","title":{"rendered":"Review: Gary Wilson – The King of Endicott"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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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<\/a><\/strong> newest record, The King of Endicott<\/em>, is another bizarre, romantic, funky, fun piece of work from him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Don’t be afraid when I hold your hand,” Wilson<\/a> sings on the intro of the record as Captain Beefheart-like warped saxophone warbles behind him.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 His vocals are particularly happy throughout it.\u00a0 It sounds like he’s having a blast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.\u00a0 The walk continues on “Walking in the Rain Tonight.”\u00a0 Wilson<\/a> just wants to hold hands with his girl (Linda?\u00a0 Karen?) and stroll along as smoothly as his keyboard riffs without a care.\u00a0 Isn’t that what we all want?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I Think I’m Falling in Love” has Wilson<\/a> wondering what’s wrong with his girl (Linda?\u00a0 Karen?\u00a0 Debbie?\u00a0 Sheryl?) as he sees her crying at her own reflection while he declares his love for her (from outside her room, or her house?).\u00a0 The bouncy beats and keys keep you upbeat despite the sad nature of the tune.\u00a0 “The king of Endicott is sad tonight,” Wilson sings on the title track.\u00a0 He’s lonely on another Friday night.\u00a0 He’s a king without a queen, but he never gives up hope.\u00a0 Wilson never gives up hope on this or any other record, really.\u00a0 He’s an eternal optimist, and determined to find love someday.\u00a0 That’s evidenced on the near-slow jam “I Don’t Want to Be Alone.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“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.\u00a0 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.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“A Perfect Day in Endicott,” according to Wilson<\/a>, 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?).\u00a0 Wilson’s synths on “Mary Walked Away” are positively groove-inducing.\u00a0 “Another Dimension” is a warped instrumental that borders on dream and nightmare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Where did Linda go?” Wilson asks on “It’s Summer Time.”\u00a0 It’s a question he’s asked for years.\u00a0 In this instance, Linda has ditched him during a date at the movies.\u00a0 He tries to remain upbeat with the pleasant weather and all the pretty girls partying at the city pool, but he’s still blue.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 It leaves you with questions, as most of Wilson’s albums do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wilson is an odd duck, but he’s a romantic odd duck and that’s why us fans of his love him.\u00a0 His albums are the soundtracks of loneliness and hope.\u00a0 He’s the king of not only Endicott, but forlorn lovers everywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep your mind open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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