My favorites: Can’t Cool Me Down, Martin, Deadlines (Thoughtful)
Listen if you like: Pixies, The Microphones, LCD Soundsystem
The album, Making A Door Less Open, is Car Seat Headrest’s newest musical project released May 1st. It is the first new music they have released in a few years, and has been long-awaited by indie fans. This new album is synth-heavy and widely experimental, to me it seems heavily influenced by 70’s electronic rock bands. Car Seat Headrest has definitely evolved from where it began, as a solo project of Will Toledo created in 2010. This album has pushed past the lo-fi alternative/indie sound of their past albums into a more electronic, developed sound. Making A Door Less Open is sonically appealing as it intricately meshes gravelly vocals and synth electronics into something truly distinctive.
I found no clear narrative or pattern throughout the album, though a lot of it focuses on future plans, fame, and commercialism. The songs generally seem scrambled throughout the tracklist without thought, though the chaos somehow fits all the expectations I had for the album. In the almost-punk electro melody of Hollywood, Toledo yells out “Hollywood makes me wanna puke.” On one of the more acoustic-styled tracks, Life Worth Missing, he sings out: “I’m coming up short in a life worth nothing.” It’s a clear rebellion against consumerism, money, and all the other problems infecting society; though every song has a slightly varied melody and style.
Though I don’t think this is the best album by Car Seat Headrest, I really appreciate the direction Will and the other members are taking to evolve their sound and try new things, especially because I heavily enjoy the synth/electronic sounds. I hope that this project leads to new and better albums in the future by CSH, and hope you enjoyed my review of the album.
– Miranda
