No Lonesome is the DIY project of Chicago-based musician and producer, Jeb Backe, and ‘Am I What I’m Not’ is their new EP. The songs were recorded in Jeb’s apartment, and they write that “each song was written from extremes of a feeling…sharing that thread of pushing a delight or fear to its maximum.”
‘Falls Apart’ – I loved this open, tactile sound. The song shakes and rattles along, the guitars giving it a satisfyingly laid-back, funky groove. The melody seems casual but is so catchy – it sticks to you like superglue. The final note of each phrase stretched like a rubber band. I thought the song had a real soulful power. NB this single was covered by us before (see here).
‘Foramen’ – What a great, dusty atmosphere. An instrumental track with such a unique sound. That lead horn has a really nostalgic sound and cuts through the haze like we’re in the middle of a spaghetti western. This one belongs on a movie soundtrack!
‘Good Hurt’ – back to more familiar territory here. A solid track with a workmanlike sound that is occasionally pushed up to (& beyond!) its limits. The vocal melts into the track like butter. The simple beat drives along relentlessly like a train down the tracks. I loved the light and breezy melody in the chorus. And once again – those horns! The swelling, spacious orchestral sound really adds a great new texture to the song.
‘Great Eternal’ – There’s almost a bluegrass sound to this one. Fantastic energy and a lovely subtle melody that – like an M.C. Escher painting – always seems to be heading down. An infectious repeating motif that gets almost hypnotic towards the end. Once it’s in your head, good luck getting it to leave!
‘Am I What I’m Not?’ sounds like a band having fun and firing on all cylinders. Four fantastically varied tracks with their own personality and sound, but all tied together with a uniquely gritty, down-to-earth sound and some fantastic melodies. For my money, these tracks are the most accomplished & distinctive music No Lonesome has made to date.
Written by Grubby
