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05/28/09 Chicago, IL - The Hideout ^
Discography
06/30/09 Atlanta, GA - 529 * 07/01/09 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 * 07/02/09 Phila, PA - First Unitarian Chapel * 07/03/09 Brooklyn, NY - Market Hotel * 07/05/09 Keane, NH - Starving Artist* 07/06/09 Cambridge, MA - TT The Bear's * 07/07/09 Montreal, QC - Il Motore * 07/08/09 Toronto, ON - TBA * 07/09/09 Grand Rapids, MI - DAAC * 07/10/09 Chicago, IL - The Hideout * 07/11/09 Minneapolis, MN - TBA * 07/13/09 Missoula, MT - TBA * 07/14/09 Seattle, WA - Healthy Times*$ 07/15/09 Portland, OR - The Artistery * 07/16/09 Vancouver, BC -Biltmore Cabaret *# 07/17/09 Anacortes, WA - WhatTheHeck2009 07/18/09 Anacortes, WA - WhatTheHeck2009 07/19/09 Anacortes, WA - WhatTheHeck2009 07/21/09 SF, CA - Bottom of the Hill 07/22/09 San Luis, CA - SLO Art Center 07/23/09 Los Angeles, CA - The Echo 07/24/09 San Diego, CA - The Casbah 07/25/09 Phoenix, AZ - Trunk Space 07/26/09 Tucson, AZ - Solar Culture 07/28/09 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive 07/30/09 Omaha, NE - Slowdown 07/31/09 Iowa City, IA - Public Space ONE ^ w/ Lineland & Animal Hospital * w/ Cryptacize $ w/ Ribbons # w/ No Kids
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In many ways, Casiotone for the Painfully Alone’s latest album, Vs. Children, picks up exactly where the previous LP, Etiquette left off. The heart-wrenching mumbled lyrics, the sardonic humor, the playful yet hypnotic beats: it’s all there. But somehow, Vs. Children seems to sink in deeper, and after repeated listenings, there’s a palpable change in Owen Ashworth’s monotone musings.
Ashworth has always chosen the most poignant personal topics for his songs and backed it up with a disarmingly upbeat yet sparse rhythm section. On Vs. Children, he continues this theme but fleshes it out with intricate harmonies and the occasional string or horn section. He never overdoes it, as CFTPA albums are known for their minimalist sound. But since the lo-fi “basement” feel of his earlier work is long gone, their sound is much more precise, more meticulous. This change is to Ashworth’s benefit, especially on tracks like Northfield, MN where the simple addition of a piano and backing vocals provides a haunting subtext to an already dark track.
Ashworth is no stranger to dark themes, and he consistently manages to strike up a perfect balance between the melancholy and melodic. On the bleakest track, “Killers,” he muses about “being killers, just for one night,” with only rhythmic percussion and droning synthesizers as a quiet but hopeful soundtrack. This same contrast is seen on the more buoyant songs as well, such as the thumping “Optimist vs. The Silent Alarm.” Just as Ashworth ponders over “laughing through the fear,” the jaunting tune of “When the Saints Go Marching In” barges in, bringing an unexpectedly amusing ending to the song.
As always, the lyrics are verbose and narrative, every English major’s wet dream. There are several Cliff Notes-approved themes that connect the songs (fear of adulthood, questioning maturity, etc.) but over-analyzing the lyrics doesn’t seem entirely necessary, as Ashworth’s intent is quite clear from the beginning. As evident from the occasional waver in his voice and his conversational tone, Vs. Children is a confession. Whether it’s autobiographical or not, only Ashworth knows, but there seems to be a small truth released in each song, without any pretension or theatrics.
When a band consists solely of a guy and his Casio, it’s easy to create an intimate atmosphere. Ashworth achieves this naturally but sheds the one-note, melancholy feel of many one-man bands. Instead, there’s always a sense of humor along with the disappointment, a pang of relief with every dose of nostalgia. On the final track, “White Jetta,” Ashworth repeatedly chants, “to stay the same, to never change.” It’s almost a cliffhanger ending to this album, as you can already sense the inevitable change about to happen, hidden somewhere in the song’s electronic pulse.
05/28/2009 01:30:34 ♥ kateg (
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