For fans of indie, folk, and just generally alternative music, little tiny knife’s new album might be of interest to you. Released on July 31st, it is the result of the collaboration between Josiah Masteller (the founder of the band), Jim Soltero, and Brianna Carmel. What’s interesting about the band’s description is how Josiah and Brianna play multiple instruments, and it already gives us a sneak peek of what to look forward to: their sound is nothing short of unique, including ukuleles, banjos, tambourines, and kazoos in addition to the already expected instruments such as guitar and bass.
The title of their debut album, “Wayne’s World / Almost Alive From Dustin’s Kitchen”, makes reference to Dustin Farley, who engineered and recorded the tracks. Described as an indie folk punk band, the Sacramento-based group shows a very individual style, mixing soft, layered vocals with a punk streak. Despite this being their first full-length album, they have been active in the music scene since 2013.
“I don’t know how to sleep” immediately won me over with its harmonies. Despite covering a heavy topic such as depression, the vocals and instrumental have a childlike innocence and silliness to them. It shows hopefulness in a way, through its sound but also through its lyrics, which reflect that they’re waiting for things to get better and haven’t given up yet. The contrast initially gave me whiplash, but it works as a way to take the heaviness out of the situation and view it in a more lighthearted way. The sound is incredibly charming, from the keyboard in the beginning, the emphasis of “oh my god” with the tambourines, to the kazoo solo near the end, which adds to the playfulness of the track. Towards the end, they go on repeating “it has to get better”, showing both their desperation and their effort to hold onto that hope.
“Sweetie, you can do this” starts with an expertly played guitar riff, and its lyrics can be read from the perspective of a loved one of a mentally ill person. For the first half of the track, it seems as if the loved one is confronting them about waiting for something to happen instead of taking action and going to therapy. Alternatively, the lyrics of the second half are more encouraging and supportive, nudging them to take care of themselves in a gentler way.
“Spaceman” is probably my favorite song on the album. The lyrics’ themes are avoidance of hard truths and not wanting to know what’s behind the curtain; blissful ignorance, essentially. Like the other songs, it feels really playful, despite its meaning. There is a clear distinction between different parts of the song; the bridge is more sombre and stands out with its slowed-down tempo. I love the harmonies, especially, as well as the pulsing synths right after it. The transitions from the different parts of the song work so well and make it all sound cohesive and connected despite the changes in tempo and rhythm, which are really captivating. The end goes full out with that playfulness, by introducing a catchy chiptune, speeding up the tempo, and ending it on an enthusiastic note.
“Essential Christmas shift” makes an impactful impression right away: the opening lyrics say ‘All I want for Christmas is a fever of 100.4’. The song is more of a ballad and, once again, includes a delightful kazoo solo. It’s a humorous song, but relatable as it is centered around a real problem related to job hierarchies and working during holidays.
Consistent with their other tracks, “Roll up your sleeves” features funny lyrics amidst its message: advocacy for the “use of violence against all those who would use violence against ourselves”. It’s surprisingly sweet for a song about violence, but, all in all, it just speaks of fighting back bigotry with your partner alongside you (which is pretty romantic). This song is definitely better when you know its lyrics, with how charmingly humorous they are.
“Long division” covers the necessity (or lack thereof) of knowing how to do long division if you’re just going to “wash dirty dishes”. As always, the harmonies and Brianna’s higher register are really pleasing to listen to, and the piano melody in the background adds a really beautiful layer to the track, despite its subtlety.
Another ballad, “Surfs Up,” has a beautiful guitar instrumental, and the two voices work really well together. I believe this is another metaphor for mental illness, as covered by the first song, in which the mention of waves could mean the ups and downs of life. “I’m all out of time” could mean they’re running out of hope or just waiting for things to get better, but it’s taking too long. “All my friends are alchemists” to me sounds like a metaphor for their friends being able to achieve things they cannot achieve (perhaps happiness), hence doing some sort of magical or fantastical work.
“Tired of driving” has a catchy and sweet melody and humorous and relatable lyrics related to struggling with inconvenient situations. They again reference themes of love and working through their struggles together with the support of their love for one another. They feel hopeful for the future, but still, they’re tired of the hard times they are routinely going through. I think the bass really stands out in this track, specifically near the end, and I like the mix of acoustic instruments with electric ones. A fun fact is that this song was actually previously released by little tiny knife in a different style, combining a chiptune sound and a banjo. I would say I like both versions, but the revised one reinforces the song’s meaning, in my opinion.
The starting riff and chord progression in “Coolio” immediately won me over, earning its spot as my second favorite track. This one has a more serious vibe in comparison with the other ones, which, as the last track on this mental health-focused album, can symbolize the acceptance of their problems instead of making light of it or choosing to be oblivious to it like earlier. It starts with an oracle telling them, “this is not the way you die”, possibly referencing an attempt, while “I know you have known this the whole time” could possibly refer back to that hope they always had of things getting better. After the song is finished, there’s a small blooper where one of the members says, “I messed up at the end, but I say we keep it anyway.” To me, that really shows the raw humanness and relatability of little tiny knife.
All in all, little tiny knife’s debut album is charming, quirky and certainly special, introducing the listeners to their unique sound and relatable lyrics. The kazoo solos truly bring me joy, and the way the two lead singers harmonize and vary between singing the same melody and singing different notes is very satisfying. little tiny knife captivated me with their songs, and I will certainly look forward to their future releases!
Written by Ella Lipp
