All That We’ve Seen…Listen on Spotify
Ellipsis…Listen on Spotify
Doing Fine…Listen on Spotify
Larry and His Flask…you’re going to have to listen to find out what’s in the flask. And in case you were wondering, there’s no Larry. It’s a long story, or actually…a short story. I won’t get into it here.
If I had to guess what this jamboree is all about, I’d say it’s a blend of bluegrass and folk punk with a splash emo. As grating as that would sound hypothetically, it’s actually quite the satisfying auditory refreshment. There’s plenty of bum-strumming and twang-n-bang in there, but there’s also competent musicianship, engaging narrative, and a whole lot of heart. Feelings, like the corners of my mind…All this in well assembled songs that weave together to create a rustic aesthetic and some good tunes. And it mostly works…for me anyway…
There are quite a few jagged edges in All That We’ve Seen. Some people might dismiss this track 30 seconds in. To me the unpolished presentation conveys genuine grief. The lyrics speak to what is felt when a relationship ends, either from a breakup or death. It’s certainly not an upbeat number and I don’t listen to this song often. When I do listen, I average about four replays. That’s $0.05 USD moving in the direction of a well deserving band.
I throw ellipses around like confetti, so it’s no surprise I’d want to draw attention to a song called Ellipsis. This is the song that hooked me on Larry and His Flask. It is the characteristic vague narrative laid over and through punk-peppy bluegrass sounds punctuated by an oddly catchy chorus. And nothing ever changes…Bonus points for being the only song ever written that references a kitty-litter mill.
Doing Fine weaves the most upbeat yarn out of the three songs selected here. So many hooky phrases in the lyrics. The music is sort of fun and variable which makes it difficult not to replay a few times. And if you listen to the song on your cell phone, it might inspire you to take a break…I mean, you’re probably not living on the road, but you probably do have an unhealthy attachment to the world through your cellphone. It can be difficult to live in both worlds. Just don’t take up drinking to stop your hands from shaking. I’m certainly not pro-that.
If there is a common theme between all of these songs, it’s the ways in which life changes. And if there’s a common theme to my blog posts, it’s that you should listen to these songs for yourself. Maybe you’ll find a new favorite!
If you do like what you hear, please consider finding more Larry and His Flask from a fair and ethical source…like Bandcamp…larryandhisflaskofficial.bandcamp. If you’re intrigued by the band and would like to learn more about them, here’s where I’d start, Larry and His Flask – Wikipedia.
