Artist: Castle Oldchair
Album: Sad Pants
Label: Standard Recording Company

Mellow, tuneful folk/pop with a few experimental touches. This album
is likely to appeal to those who are attuned to lyrics. My personal
preference was for the odder tracks (1, 9 and the hidden track).
Those who like more straightforward folk/pop might like 2 and 8.

1) 70 bpm. Either sampled or complete instrumental sound bed played
backwards. Sad, distant male vocals (forwards). Recommended.
2) 102 bpm. Much more straightforward pop/folk. Guitars, bass,
drums, earnest male vocals. "She strips me of my pride, while she
strips me down inside. I guess it made me wiser, I'm naked once
again…We're just friends." Recommended.
3) 72 bpm. Fuzzy melodic guitar intro, synth/guitar melody, vocal
similar to (2). More lyrics about relationship trouble.
4) 96 bpm, Brighter sound, but introspective, lyrics.
5) 112 bpm. Neat intro that sounds a bit like mandolin, female
backing vocals. Later, violin. Lyrics perhaps not be quite as good
as other songs, but music good.
6) 92 bpm. Acoustic guitar prominent. "My girlfriend came to me,
this is what she said. There's no relief in sight, better off dead."
7) 60/120 bpm. Sound similar to (6). Elliptical lyrics that touch on
superbowl Sunday, Jehovah, elephant figurines, yard sales,…
8) 108 bpm. Choral snippet at beginning, then Simon & Garfunkel
melody. Cheerful music lyrics about mortality. Best: "When the
worms crawl out after the rain, will you remember me?" Recommended.
9) 126 bpm. Bass intro, thereafter hypnotic repeating bass motif.
Hymn-like harmony in vocals. More morbid lyrics. No other
instruments. Recommended.

Hidden track: 3:28 into track 9) Goofy falsetto vocals about
underwear, cat-like sounds in background. Recommended.

Alex D.