Friday March 29th 2024

Coffin Salesman – “Nicrophorus Americanus”

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Coffin Salesman – “Nicrophorus Americanus”

 

FUCK THE ARTIST AND FUCK THE ART, WHY DO I EVEN START?- Aria Rad.

There’s a time in a young artists life where all he or she believed in, is scattered. It’s like they were carrying something and they stumbled, and it’s all tossed on the floor. And their first instinct is to bend over and pick it all up, and put it all back together just as it was before.

But sometimes they stoop and see all things a clatter and think, “Well, maybe I don’t need this anymore? And maybe I can add that? Maybe I can create something from my original inspiration and desire and build on that, but has, really, little to do with what I did before.”

And that mess is never cleaned up.

But when they do this, what they create is usually epic. It’s like leaning over an edge to see how far you would fall but pulling back right at the last moment.

Aria, who leads this band and whose voice folks might think of sounding like a higher registered Bob Dylan, while I hear him more like Tom Miller from Television- the very first punk/new wave band to play at CBGB’s- approached me at Great Scott’s about a year and a half ago.

I know I’ve told this story before but I believe it’s a good one.

He asked me to listen to his new acoustic/solo project on bandcamp. Knowing him from the great hardcore/punk band The Radicals, I readily agreed. “Sure, but I can’t review it- we don’t do solo acoustic reviews.”

“That’s fine,” he said, “I’d just like your opinion.”

Not only did I listen to it, I decided with it’s punk delivery and realistic street, city words and great songs that there was no way I wouldn’t review it. And the recording ended up being in a three-way tie for my favorite release of the year.

Pretty damn good from going from, “Sorry, I can’t use it,” to “Yes, this is one of the best of the year.”

And this is another one that some might say we shouldn’t be reviewing. And this is another one that there’s no way I wouldn’t review. And this is another one that speaks with the passion and true poetry of the best punk I’ve experienced. And this is another one I ask you to give it a go.

“Drowning In a Wishing Well” starts out calm but soon collides into an Irish/punk romp with violins screeching to a country beat along with a terrific guitar solo. This song moves along with such a rush of energy that it suggests an asthma victim suffering an anxiety attack that somehow resolves to ecstatic, musical bliss. “Now praise the Lord and pass the speed, whatever kind of religion you need…All your values are bought and sold, all your heroes are growing old with arthritis in your rebel fist, you whine and cry like a dirty son of a bitch.” And though the music hits with it’s exuberant push there’s some desperate, despairing lyrics within- ” It kinda makes you feel like you wanna die but you go and tell everyone that you feel fine…but there’s a noose in your closet but nobody knows. That lonely feeling ebbs and flows and you start to feel like it’s time to go.” True thoughts, true feelings almost everyone’s felt reading this. But wrapped up in a song, so catchy, so great that it makes me refute that I’d, “rather be dead than living live this.” A genius mix of happiness and pain.

“Sanctuary” has a constant tick tock beat that occasionally, erupts with a fury. “Shut your mouth, you’ve got nothing to fear. Guilt is like a badge of honor here…Some things you don’t get over.” This great tune makes me think of a collaboration between Flogging Molly and Nine Inch Nails.

“Against God,” sports a great rumba tom-tom beat that suggests Bo Didley or a new swing band. “All the things that I like are the things that I doubt. All the things I can’t stand I just can’t live without. Is that anchor, keeping you in place of just dragging you down?” Amazingly, great lyrics and neat, eerie keyboards compliments the moody, jungle beat vibe. “I don’t get on my knees, I don’t pray for redemption. And if there is a God, I stand against him.” I’ll back you up Aria! My favorite song on the album.

“New Age Swinger” comes out swinging like a middleweight boxer throwing a few, quick jabs waiting for the opponent to bounce of the rings to deliver the knockout punch. “They say the end is coming. It could be any day. And all the main street preachers are saying you’d be better off this way.” This song wails like a new wave big beat tune but thankfully, is a tad bit too rambunctious to fall for that. “A knife to the dream and a bullet through the eyes of the homecoming queen.” Another great song with tremendous lyrics. “But no one here seems to know what I mean.” I hope you know what I mean when I say this song isĀ  fucking great.

I see Aria, with this new project, spinning away from the music we cover. Which is why I’m listening, right now, to one of my favorite songs, “Spinning Away,” by John Cale and Brian Eno.

That song has nothing to do with punk but it’s part of the reason why- I’m listening to it now.

Punk is my style, from many years ago, I guess I’m gonna ride it out till the end.

But Aria needs, and is, striking out for his own style. Young folks need to follow their legs (and hearts) where they lead them. I expect, and respect, that they will take them far way from me, from where I started.

But the punk spirit is still here. Hey, you could describe this as a mix of acoustic punk and thrash metal and not be far off the mark.

Lots of passion here, lots of poetry, too. By far the best lyrics of any album I have or will review this year. And if you think punk is only bands trying to sound like The Ramones then I think, you need to stretch your ears a bit further.

Coffin Salesman isn’t selling something to do with death but maybe, with creative rebirth.

(Slimedog)

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