“When I think of Robin Williams at the end of his rope / It makes no difference what you’re making / The reaper makes the final joke…” is the first of many, many lines that elicits a non-voluntary, visceral reaction on Noah Gundersen’s fourth record, and it comes less than three minutes in. I mean, holy shit. Better grab yourself a glass of the hard stuff and strap in – it’s going to be that kind of ride.
Moments like this are when Gundersen’s at his best. He takes relatively universal themes and sprinkles in these specific references or personal anecdotes that his peers don’t – or can’t – touch. Combine that with a soothing croon and a level of wry candor you’d be hard-pressed to find from most other modern songwriters and you’ve got a pretty good scope of what to expect here. All that said, if you’re already intimately familiar with Noah Gundersen, then Lover will throw a bit of the unexpected your way, sonically speaking.
On Lover, the curveball he throws you is one that’s covered in a thin layer of gritty, pop production. It’s a sound I never would have expected from Gundersen, and yet it amounts to a record I always wanted him to make without even realizing it. The arrangements here showcase Gundersen’s impressive vocal range more prominently than ever before, and the songs are better as a result of it. Gone are the overly frenetic-to-a-fault moments that disrupted White Noise. And despite the mental health struggles he opened up about leading up to this record, Gundersen sounds more clear-headed and focused than ever. There are still points that would benefit from an editor, but none so distracting that they get in the way of the bigger picture. And the payoffs almost always make up for it.
At the end of the aforementioned album opener, Gundersen offers us a sad-but-true look at the state of art: “Who the hell are we fooling? No one buys records anymore.” Although slightly sarcastic, it also highlights a very real sense of disillusionment amongst the underground music scene. This sure as hell doesn’t pay the bills. So I’ll tell ya what – if you buy any new record today, make it this one. I promise you will feel something inherently real and come out stronger on the other side.
Haiku Reviews
Noah Gundersen
Gut punches you on Lover –
Get ready for chills
