Picked up The Slack’s Wishful Sinking tonight and it surpasses my admittedly high expectations. And the lyrics read like someone who’s been watching my life for the last 18 months. You Deserve Better, which was on the Zack Crain for Mayor CD. Leaving Chicago is a beautiful, lonely lament. His choice of city leaves me with an uncomfortable conviction that I must embrace, having myself been alone in distant locations left with wonder at what’s left back home.
falling out with you
it weighs me down with truth…
will tomorrow bring a sun to sing a song for spring?
now the fear rings in my ear…
Nothing New has this awesome Pet Sounds intro eventually landing into that hook-filled Holt songwriting and guitar playing that we love.
she smiles at you when she speaks of nothing new
still you won’t believe the lies
…it comes as no surprise
she knows the fear it’ll break you down
so now you’re here alone and she’ll go so far away
still you won’t concede it’s wrong
i don’t belong to her
i feel so gone today
she won’t believe not a single word
but still you want to know
will she come around again
Breaking Down is a classic eff you rock tune reminiscent of something I can’t quite put my finger on (post punk?)
you stand in front of me
set off too easily
you’re surely telling everyone that i’m a bastard…
i’ll hold you up til you put me out
might be better if you’re not around…
making plans to be in charge of everything…
with all the rumors that flood the town
it’s obvious we’re both contradicting
now all i can say it’s a shame
the idiot’s to blame
and i feel let down
and i’m so alone…
i’m so fucking alone…
i wish we could stop talking bout
every single word coming from my mouth
even though you hear me when i shout
i know it’s not getting through…
I like that the record closes with three positive tracks, the beautiful Weathering the Storm (I know it’s easier said than done but have a little faith in your heart…I’m staying true to form, I’m weathering the storm), which goes right into The Big Picture (I knew you were the light for me…I lost sight for awhile but soon I’ll find my feet), and the standout What’s to Come
the wait is the hardest thing to take
i pray i don’t make the same mistake
but i’m so lost today
i admit being guilty of the sin
i knocked on the door and you begged me to come in
time and time again
i can live with what i’ve done
if only for the promise of what’s to come…
…like I said…and I would give you that track too, but I want you to buy this record (and there’s not a weak track on the whole thing). I got it at Good Records, which has it at a listening booth, and it’s also available at CD World. For non-Dallasites, it will hopefully soon be available on iTunes (I assume in all its DRM’d glory).
The Slack is kind of the answer to all of Johnny Citizen’s questions, both musically and lyrically. But neither of us are trying to be anything we aren’t. We aren’t clever. We’re just artists, specifically musicians and songwriters.