Heal

This new release from Indiana singer-songwriter Timothy Showalter walks the line between 70s hard rock and 80s synth pop. An odd combo on the surface, but Showalter makes the fusion of the two work. On top of his raw, rich soundscapes, his highly literal lyrics and dire vocal performances make the album not just good but truly captivating. A crunchier War on Drugs or a more electronics-heavy Phosphorescent might come close to this. Oh, and there’s a tribute to Jason Molina here. Favorites: 1, 4, 5, 6. FCC WARNING 2, 8.

1. *(3:00)—Crunchy, big, major-key southern rock (guitars courtesy of J Mascis!) with a drum machine. “I was lonely, but I was having fun.”
2. (4:06)—FCC WARNING (f***). Fast, frantic, skyward 80s synth-rock.
3. (4:29)—Mid-tempo synth pop, with a cleaner update of those drums that appear on every single 80s hit.
4. *(3:22)—Medium-slow, ringing, terse, raw anthem about wanting people to go away. Minimal coda.
5. *(4:08)—Slow, woozy, jagged, optimistic piece driven by electronics. Turns into a big “whoa-oh-oh” anthem partway in.
6. *(7:24)—The Jason Molina song. It’s built on a stark, slow Magnolia Electric Co. riff, but some heavy electronics take it past simple Molina worship. It ROCKS!
7. (3:35)—Medium-slow, quasi-“With or Without You.”
8. (5:25)—FCC WARNING(f***). A shame, because this song is a beautiful, heart-ripping portrayal of having the person you love run away from you.
9. (3:04)—Slow, plodding. Verses have a Suicide-ish beat, choruses hop into retro heavy metal territory.
10. (4:07)—Medium-slow. Verses are vocals and piano, choruses are big synthscapes with more “oh-oh-oh” vocals.