Generations
Merge, 2020
10/10
An integral member of the Canadian stars Arcade Fire and more recently a solo artist, too, the multi-instrumentalist Will Butler returns with a sophomore album on his own, where he recorded the entire album in his basement.
“Outta Here” starts the listen with plenty of atmosphere, as slow buzzing synth meets Butler’s raw, intimate vocals that bursts into a lively dance rocker, and “Bethlehem” follows with a charged pace of highly melodic indie-rock meets garage-rock that parallels the greatness achieved by Ted Leo.
Halfway through, “Surrender” benefits from call and response singing in a campfire-esque sort of way that will get your hands clappin’ and feet stompin’ in its southern swagger as Butler explores his falsetto, while “Hide It Away” brings a contrast of baroque-pop alongside jagged synth in the charming electro-pop. “Hard Time”, a particularly interesting tune, then gets soulful with plenty of subdued grooves that point towards the ‘70s with some disco flavor.
Close to the end, “Not Gonna Die” is an initially bare display of just piano alongside Butler’s gentle pipes before building into a sax friendly rocker, and “Fine” exits the listen with an expressive finish of strategic woodwinds and moody piano in its emotive nature.
An extremely well done album, no one can deny the vast talent and imaginative mind Butler possesses, as Generations showcases adventurous. eloquent and extremely eclectic songwriting that is a contender for album of the year.
Travels well with: Ted Leo- Shake The Sheets; Arcade Fire- Everything Now