Let’s Look Back
Kill Rock Stars, 2023
9/10
Caleb Nichols turned quite a few heads with Ramon, his queer Beatles rock opera, and this 2nd LP on Kill Rock Stars will likely gain him even more attention as he navigates vindication and reintegration along with Adam Nash, Zach Rogue, and Pat Spurgeon.
“Christmas Carol” gets the listen off to an atmospheric start that segues into a firmly strummed and melodic folk rocker, and “Demon Twink” follows with some scrappy garage-rock ideas entering the busy, soaring climate.
Further along, “Don’t You Ever” brings a playful, jangly demeanor that can parallel Elliott Smith’s brightest moments via the emotive singing, while “Limn” welcomes Nash’s superb drumming for the snappy and pop friendly display. “Stranged” then finds a very intimate place to reside, where Nichols’ soft, poetic vocals and meticulous acoustic guitar make an indelible impression.
The last 2 tracks continue the top notch songwriting, where the dreamy “The Wires” is quite pretty and reflective, and “Wicked” finishes with Spurgeon’s buzzing keys complementing the crisp drums and vivid storytelling of the lushly textured and glossy pop ideas.
The Kill Rock Stars camp has given us some of the best records in the world of independent music (The Decemberists, Unwound, etc.), and I feel pretty confident saying that Caleb Nichols will be another very important and influential songwriter from the label, as this sophomore album is just so catchy and full of substance.
Travels well with: Teke::Teke- Shirushi; Tele Novella- Merlynn Belle