Adult Lullabies, Michael Feuerstack's new release, is a five-song companion to last year's incredible The Forgettable Truth, which, if there was justice in the world, would have won all the awards and made the singer-songwriter famous in ways he'd probably rather avoid. So forget I ever said anything and just listen to that record before you dig into this one.
"You've got the world's worst record / And you hope it flops," sings Feuerstack — whose name in German means "writer of cryptic songs" — in the jangly, time-travel-themed standout "Home Away From Home." In "Maybe When You're Older," the former Snailhouse rocker channels his inner Elvis Costello.
The songs here were recorded at Montreal's Hotel2Tango during the same sessions as The Forgettable Truth and so include the same stellar musicians: Pietro Amato (Bell Orchestre, the Luyas), Mike Belyea (Jenn Grant) and Peter Xirogiannis, with the exception of the delicate opener "Bright Light II," which was recorded at Feuerstack's home and features a lovely bit of vibraphone by Arcade Fire's Jeremy Gara.
"I want to spend some time / I'm in love with your mind / And body," from the lilting "Mind and Body," might be some of the most straightforward lyrics the musician has written, and also the most affecting. The record concludes with the pensive "Poor Everybody" which, combined with the previous four songs, confirms why a small collection of short stories can be as compelling as a full-length narrative.
Turns out the musician that Said the Gramophone's Sean Michaels called "a national treasure" had a few more gems in his back pocket. You may struggle to see and hear things the same way again.
(Forward Music Group)"You've got the world's worst record / And you hope it flops," sings Feuerstack — whose name in German means "writer of cryptic songs" — in the jangly, time-travel-themed standout "Home Away From Home." In "Maybe When You're Older," the former Snailhouse rocker channels his inner Elvis Costello.
The songs here were recorded at Montreal's Hotel2Tango during the same sessions as The Forgettable Truth and so include the same stellar musicians: Pietro Amato (Bell Orchestre, the Luyas), Mike Belyea (Jenn Grant) and Peter Xirogiannis, with the exception of the delicate opener "Bright Light II," which was recorded at Feuerstack's home and features a lovely bit of vibraphone by Arcade Fire's Jeremy Gara.
"I want to spend some time / I'm in love with your mind / And body," from the lilting "Mind and Body," might be some of the most straightforward lyrics the musician has written, and also the most affecting. The record concludes with the pensive "Poor Everybody" which, combined with the previous four songs, confirms why a small collection of short stories can be as compelling as a full-length narrative.
Turns out the musician that Said the Gramophone's Sean Michaels called "a national treasure" had a few more gems in his back pocket. You may struggle to see and hear things the same way again.