Review Summary: When depression meets fun: Rozwell Kid produces an album that is anything but shabby
When the topic of sad music is brought up, the immediate idea a listener gets gravitates towards music with depressing lyrics and moody instrumentals. This is why most groups try to capture the feelings of sadness and depression in a mix of depressing lyrics and moody guitars. Though in Rozwell Kid’s case they do the complete opposite. Instead of writing about how death is dreadful or a girl being out of a no name’s life set to the beat of moody guitars they capture the feelings of confusion and uncertainty set to the beat of fun and upbeat 90’s pop rock. The constant clashing of a “I don’t care, it’s ok” attitude and the dreadful sense of “nothing is going to be alright” is heavy in this album, delivered in a balanced yet convoluted manner that captures what the emotion that sadness and depression can usually feel like.
"Simpsons season 3 and a thing of hummus, this is all I need. I'm like, super low-maintenance."
This is how the album opens in opening track Kangaroo Pocket, only to immediately follows up with the contradicting line, “Every now and then I wonder why, just a little bit.” The rest of the album follows suit with a collection of sarcastic, low-brow comments preceded by questions of confusion and uncertainty. “I say I’m sorry when I’m helping you out, I don’t know. I say I’m sorry when I open the door, I don’t know.” The words read like they’re flowing out of the mouth of a frustrated man, unsure about what to say or feel which is also reflected with the instrumental arrangements. They all bear an uncannily constant upbeat and poppy sound, with a mixture of catchy riffs and hooks that barely reflect the subject matter present in the song writing. This convoluted mixture of emotions feel almost too real, it’s where the beauty of Too Shabby shines. It’s an album that feels far more realistic than albums that designed to sound sad. It’s an album that welcomes it’s listeners in with relatable writing and fun sounds even if most of it sounds like nonsense. It’s flawed, it’s catchy, it’s moving, it’s incoherent, it’s consistent, it’s intriguing, it’s unwelcoming, and it’s all these things that make Too Shabby the one thing that many albums aren’t. This album is all human.
I originally went for a 4/5, though the further I wrote the more I realized that I don't really have a single complaint about this album. It was also really difficult to write this without sounding like a 5.
Glad you liked the album, it's pretty Weezer heavy minus their synth work. Which makes it pretty accessible, which is why more people need to know about this album.
Vaxx, Check out Surfer Blood's albums Pythons and Astrocoast. If you're as into weezer and this as you say, you'll definitely like them. Start with pythons, its the better record of the two
Vaxx. This album is indeed fantastic, a perfect five for me too. I could see why a lot of people would not , considering it's simplicity and somewhat unoriginality. However, I've had this spinning in my cars CD player for a couple months now and it is the most fun and REAL album I've heard in a while. As conflicting as the album can be, I've never felt conflicted listening to it, I just always feel great. 5/5 for me because of the intangible way it makes you feel, not the tangible complexity or originality.
okay yeah I'm really liking this album a lot. I happened to find it while looking for catchy, power-poppy name-your-price indie rock type stuff and this is pretty much exactly what I had in mind. hittin all the right notes for me right now
