For episode 9 of BBB Radio, Ricardo and I share our thoughts on the teaser trailer for the upcoming Marvel Studios/Columbia Pictures superhero film “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and the second season of the Adult Swim (formerly Netflix) animated comedy series “Tuca & Bertie”, and I review the new album from West Coast rappers Killahronh (“The Implementer”) and the collaborative album from Killahronh and Irie2012 (“2020 Hindsight”), the first season of the TV series based on the movie of the same name “Blindspotting”, the sophomore feature from “Blindspotting” director Carlos Lopez Estrada “Summertime” and the newest action film from Trinbagonian filmmaker Keyon Byron “After the Apocalypse (Only the Strong Survive)”.
For episode 8 of BBB Radio, Ricardo and I review the second trailer for the upcoming Marvel Studios feature “Eternals”, the second episode of their animated series “What If…?” and the first season of the CW superhero series “Superman & Lois”, and get ‘spoilery’ on the third film in Paramount’s live-action G.I. Joe series “Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins” and the A24-released medieval fantasy “The Green Knight”.
“No Hesitation III” is the newest EP from Bayonne, New Jersey rapper Malcolm X. Robinson a.k.a. Malc and a threequel of sorts to his 2019 single “No Hesitation” and its 2020 follow-up “No Hesitation II”. Prior to listening to this EP, I checked out his previous albums “The Layover” (2018), “P2” (2019), “For Motivational Use Only” (2019) and “Soon Enough” (2020), along with his first EP “Thinking Out Loud” (2020).
For a music career spanning a mere three years, that is a rather impressive output! And though his albums clock in at under 30 minutes (“Soon Enough” is roughly a minute away from hitting that 30-minute mark), Malc packs quite a punch on each of them, with sharp, witty lyricism, a bold, cocky and charismatic demeanor and a keen ear for 90s and 2000s-inspired hip hop production, particularly Just Blaze and Kanye West-style beats which incorporate soulful, harmonious samples. His hunger for success is prevalent throughout his music, along with some all-too-familiar but nonetheless potent themes of self-motivation, focus on one’s goals, love for family, loyalty and trust to his loved ones and the mistrust and disdain felt towards his former friends, haters and detractors.
With “No Hesitation III”, we’re treated to four tracks and a runtime of roughly 12 ½ minutes, almost as short as his “Thinking Out Loud” EP. And like his previous projects, Malc packs just enough heat to satisfy old and new listeners of his music, whilst giving them just enough encouragement and motivation to go hard on their endeavors and/or simply go about their day-to-day.
The EP opens with “Do or Die” which features a triumphant, soul-infused instrumental and a VERY well-written, self-affirmative second verse from guest rapper Zig Luve. Malc questions the loyalty his supporters have for him as a rapper on the rise, and how quickly their true intentions are revealed with one step forward or backward on that road to success. Though the theme of distrust resonates throughout this track, Malc carefully frames himself as someone who isn’t fearfully paranoid over the supposed betrayals he may face within his social circles, but constantly keeps his head on a swivel, just in case someone he’s aligned with gets in the way of him attaining his dreams.
On the following track “Better Yet”, Malc raps about the mindset he adopts when focused on his music. I really dug the wavy piano-driven beat for this track (points for the ghostly ‘DJ scratches’ before the second verse) and how HARD Malc goes in on it. All over this track, he sounds laser focused as he drops rhymes about how seriously he takes his craft, the little he cares for his rivals and their respective grind, and the success he expects from the hard work put in. The shout-out to his mom near the end was pretty hilarious, given what he says on the post-chorus about not having time for “no basic bitch”.
We then get the second and final collaborative track “GO” where Malc and guest rapper Soulfull deliver fiery, energetic flows over a trunk-rattling beat with a trap-flavored interpolation of the piano melody from the CLASSIC Mystikal song “Here I Go” (the title of which Malc shouts out on the hook’s ad-lib). Malc sounds assertive and determined as ever on this track, rapping about how close he is towards his goals and his refusal to limit himself to the proverbial “ceiling”. Everything in this song works, from the contrast in vocal pitch and lyrical flow between Malc and Soulfull (who delivers his vocals in a slightly aggressive, low register), to the catchy-ass hook and lyrics themselves. Malc starts his verse with a few of my favorite lines on the EP (“Facilitating separation, exercising elevation / Militant, no relaxation with operations / Fortune 500 how we run this corporation / Silent foundation, ain’t no fucking stagnation / Just manifestation, that’s the only obligation / And never, ever, ever do that shit basic”). While listening to Soulfull’s verse, I found myself comparing his flow to that of East Coast rap legend Freddie Foxxx/Bumpy Knuckles, especially around the second half of his verse when he spits: “I’ve been patiently waiting to get my shit off – and put us all on / I’m a vessel of motivation and body determination / How the fuck you hatin’ on me when I’m everything you’ve been praying for? I / need what I need and I – won’t keep for greed and I…”. Long story short, this shit SLAPS!!!
The EP concludes with the solo track “Knowing”, which features some Just Blaze-inspired production with sweeping, pitch-shifted female vocalizing, some soulful piano chords in the background and an opening and closing audio clip (the latter of which is a rather ‘adorable’ producer tag that appeared on the final track of “Thinking Out Loud”) which add a deeply personal layer to the overall song. Here, Malc delivers a one-verse summary of the hustle and drive addressed throughout this EP, whilst dropping words of inspiration and wisdom to those on a similar path to greatness. In one of the EP’s biggest highlights, Malc does some clever pop culture references to further emphasize his ambition (“Beaming…..Scotty, n***a, who supposed to stop me? / I got the swag of Apollo and hunger like I’m Rocky / Clubber swinging….working like Drago / ‘Til I’m out the foxhole, that’s straight facts / Ain’t too many that got those”). Easily the most emotionally-driven song on “No Hesitation III”, “Knowing” ends this EP on a strong note.
As a whole, “No Hesitation III” is yet another well-crafted and well-put-together EP from Malc. It is a good starting point for getting into his music, although I recommend checking out his earlier records first before jumping into this one. Malc’s pen game and mic presence are still strong, and I imagine they’ll be heightened even more in his subsequent releases. And while I do hope at least one of those future releases runs PAST 30 minutes (No overlong, filler-filled, deluxe-edition sized albums, please!), the attention and care put into doing the most in a fairly small window of time is truly admirable. If you’re a fan of no-BS, filler-free, motivational hip hop, by all means, give “No Hesitation III” a listen.
OVERALL RATING: 7.5 out of 10.
Now available on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal and Deezer
For my third track review of 2021, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on “Let it Breathe”, the newest single from Charleston, South Carolina rapper Mister Davey Jones. Last year, he released his debut single “World on Fire (Freestyle)”, where he incorporated jazz, R&B and blues inflections onto his smooth, low-key, low-register vocal delivery. Backed by a stripped-down instrumental and a minimalist, black-and-white music video, Davey touched on the uncertainty and sheer hopelessness brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. With his two subsequent singles “The Sweetest Revenge” (which used a slightly-updated version of the ‘World on Fire’ instrumental) and “I Get Down”, he truly showed off his pen game and mic skills, while doing some harmless flexing on the side.
“Let it Breathe”, however, finds Mister Davey Jones rapping over a jazzy instrumental, a stark contrast from the sparse beats he rapped over on his previous singles. This instrumental is the biggest strength of this track, with its nocturnal, quiet storm-inspired vibe, crisp drums, groovy piano and guitar chords and smooth male vocalizing on the hook.
Davey compliments the mood established by the instrumental with a noticeably laid-back approach to his lyrics and vocal delivery. The structure of each verse is quite interesting as he breaks them up into triplets (with a very brief pause in-between them) and delivers each line in a melodic, ba-da-ba-da-ba-da-daaflow with the occasional insertion of a syllable or two.
Topically, Davey keeps things lightweight by rapping about his daily grind on the road to greatness, being mindful of your time, talents, ambition and your cool (the latter especially when times get rough) and the almost therapeutic approach to his songwriting on this track (“Lyrics are laid with leisure / And laid on the line to lead ya / It’s stronger than anesthesia”). I imagine some listeners may go into this track expecting something moodier, denser and dare I say, darker with regards to lyrics and themes, but given what we got with “World on Fire (Freestyle)”, there’ll be more time for that in a future release (hopefully in a EP or album). But for now, it’s all about….to quote a title from one of my favorite songs from my favorite rap group of all time…. Electric Relaxation – and that’s EXACTLY what we get on this track! As a whole, I really enjoyed “Let it Breathe”! With its hypnotic beat, catchy flows and breezy vibe, it’s guaranteed to draw a wider audience to Mister Davey Jones’ brand of hip hop. On a side note, I would LOVE to see this song performed live: band, back-up singers, moody lighting…..all that good stuff! Davey is certainly an artist to keep on your radar, and “Let it Breathe” is definitely a track to have on your chillout / lounge playlist!
“The Orange Diamond Sessions (8/14/2021)” – released a mere three days after the date stated in the title – is the collaborative record between multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and producer C.W. Franz and fellow Chicagoan guitarist and vocalist Michael Molitor a.k.a. Pelicans vs. Rockets. The first of what’s promised to be an ongoing series of jam sessions between C.W. and his Chicagoan musician friends, “The Orange Diamond Sessions” consists of nine tracks recorded in one session with the use of instruments from C.W.’s private collection.
And while the collaborative, free-associative approach to this album is very reminiscent of C.W’s recent release “Five Piano Improvisations”, “The Orange Diamond Sessions” plays more like an in-depth, cinema verite look at a studio recording session between two artists and the song ideas conceived and/or enhanced from it. Further accentuating the ‘realism’ of the album is the creative decision by C.W. to record the entire session on his iPhone. And for those going into “The Orange Diamond Sessions” completely blind, your overall enjoyment of the album rests on keeping that one aspect in mind, especially if you’re a nitpicker for recording and mastering.
The album kicks off with “Entombed”, a moody, haunting mix of melodies from Michael’s five-string acoustic guitar and C.W.’s Casio SA-76 mini-keyboard. The strained keys and tense strings on this track evoke the feel of watching the intro to some obscure, arthouse horror flick (and to you fans of obscure, arthouse horror flicks (*like me*) – NO, that’s not an insult). We get a sequel / reprise of sorts – aptly titled “Entombed II” – after the second track, which sounds less haunting than its predecessor but similarly moody. C.W. swaps his keyboard for his trusty ukulele (the prominent instrument used on his recent album “C.W. Franz III” – more on that in a bit) while Michael continues to compliment him with his guitar.
On the second track “Over These Hills”, we get light guitar strums from Michael and some melodica use from C.W. The chemistry between both artists is quite strong here, as instrumentally and sonically, they blend seamlessly with each other, giving the track a dreamy, wavy vibe to it. Another moment of perfect instrumental fusion comes on the track “A Pair of Bouncing Rocks”, where C.W.’s kalimba sounds superb alongside Michael’s use of the Ghanaian gyli xylophone.
The album also treats us to a two and three-part composition, each clocking in at roughly 8 minutes. The first is “Split Light / Partial Eclipse” which, off its song titles and overall immersive experience, sounds and feels like a sub-conscious tribute to the ICONIC “Star Gate” sequence from the sci-fi masterpiece “2001: A Space Odyssey”. But instead of trippy imagery and flashing lights of varying color backed by theatrical vocals, this track evokes the feel of being alone on some barren wasteland where anything and anyone can attack you. Michael uses an EBow on his acoustic guitar while C.W. employs his keyboard and a Cherokee flute.
The “Split Light” section of the track has a rather minimalist vibe, as if we’re hearing echoes of these strange melodies blowing in the wind. After what sounds like couch movement (Remember….this is a RECORDING of a studio session), we get the “Partial Eclipse” section which includes some sparse keyboard chords past the 6 minute mark and a slightly amped version of the flute and EBow/guitar melodies from the first half, all of which bring the song to a discordant and incredibly chilling conclusion.
The second of these lengthy compositions is “Four Strings/ Convocation / Benediction”, a bluesy and particularly moody track compared to the stark bleakness we got on “Split Light / Partial Eclipse”. C.W. adds some rawhide rattle and thigh slaps (during the beginning) while Mike applies this psychedelic, folk and progressive-rock inspired approach to his guitar playing. C.W.’s clearly having a blast with the rattle, as he contributes a substantial amount of rattling on this track, but to be fair, he does manage to squeeze in the Casio SA-76 (in one moment, he ‘warms up’ by playing a random set of chords, and in another, you can hear some ‘hard’ finger taps during his set).
But it’s not all instruments and instrumentals on “The Orange Diamond Sessions”. Both C.W. and Michael do their fair share of singing, though not as much as you’d expect from each artist. On Michael’s solo track “92nd Street (Takes 2 – 4)”, he delivers an excellent, head nod-inducing acoustic guitar solo (one of the album’s major musical highlights). But instead of an actual song, he treats us to what sounds like a work-in-progress verse, concentrating more on flow than on fleshed-out lyrics and themes. There’s even a moment where he ‘fucks up’ one of his vocal takes, shrugs it off mid-song and continues fine-tuning his song idea.
C.W. gets a solo track of his own, and one that should be familiar to those who checked out his BRILLIANT release “C.W. Franz III”. On “Corner Bakery Jam”, we get an alternate take on his song “Corner Bakery”. Here, the ukulele melody is noticeably different from the original song, Michael compliments him with light guitar strumming (clearly to help set the song’s mood as opposed to simply supporting C.W.’s ukulele with a similar melody) and C.W. sings the first three bars of “Corner Bakery” near the end. Somehow, I can’t help but see this as an early draft of “Corner Bakery” being performed alongside Michael for the first time, but it may very well be a spur-of-the-moment take on the completed song itself.
Of course, C.W. and Michael sing alongside each other – in this case, on the final track “Murfreesboro Train Blues”. This is easily the most upbeat song on the album, and you can clearly tell they’re having fun and not taking themselves too seriously. Michael plays a catchy tune on the acoustic guitar while C.W. incorporates the rhythmic use of a percussive Appalachian dulcimer to catchy and oftentimes hilarious effect. Lyrically, their duet is essentially an Americana, country and blues-inspired song centered on some woman who hitched a train to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and how…..(ahem)….memorable she was to both C.W. and Michael. Overall, it’s a silly but effectively light-hearted way to conclude the album.
The biggest strength of “The Orange Diamond Sessions (8/14/2021)” is the chemistry between C.W. Franz and Michael Molitor. They both play off each other’s strengths, particularly Michael’s abilities to come up with ear-grabbing guitar melodies and honest, noteworthy lyrics (“92nd Street” and “Murfreesboro Train Blues” each give us a sample of his approach to songwriting) and C.W.’s emotionally-driven, mood-inducing, instrumentally ambitious song compositions. With this iPhone-recorded, August 14th 2021 session of theirs, I came out of it with a deep understanding of their respective creative process. And though (with the exception of “Corner Bakery”) there’s the possibility that these tracks may not become fully-realized songs on subsequent C.W. Franz and Pelicans vs. Rockets projects, what’s presented on “The Orange Diamond Sessions” could likely become the foundation to a number of classic albums and songs in their respective discographies in the near-future. But in the meantime, if you’re fascinated at the creative processes involved in making music, or if you’re a fan of deluxe editions of classic albums that include never-before-heard demos and outtakes (*like me*), or if you’re simply a fan of experimental, improvisational music, then by all means, give “The Orange Diamond Sessions (8/14/2021)” a listen.
For episode 7 of BBB Radio, Ricardo and I discuss the series premiere of the Marvel Studios’ animated series “What If…?”, the first three episodes of the third season of DC/HBO Max’s “Titans”, Ricardo talks about the Season 2 premiere of CBS All Access’ “Star Trek: Lower Decks” and the documentary “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain”, and I review the new Mr P Chill and Nas albums “L.I.F.E. (Living in Fragile Environments) and “King’s Disease II”, Season 1 of the Star Wars animated series “The Bad Batch”, the Val Kilmer-themed documentary “Val” and the Netflix thriller “Beckett” (with SPOILERS near the end).
“Certificate of Perseverance” is the newest EP from Bronx rapper OG Omyth and the first collaboration between his entertainment company Manifest Something Beautiful and the multimedia social enterprise Designed Conviction. With a roughly 17-year rap career under his belt, which officially began with his debut mixtape “Wreck Yard Rhymes Vol. 1”, OG is anything but a fresh face in the East Coast indie hip hop scene. And with “Certificate of Perseverance” being the first (if you look at its cover, you can see ‘Part 1’ at the bottom) of what will hopefully be an entertaining and enjoyable series of releases, it’s clear that the goal of Manifest Something Beautiful is to reach a wider audience via this EP.
OG Omyth keeps things concise and cohesive on “Certificate of Perseverance”, from its 20-minute runtime and 7-track duration to its moody yet sonically versatile production. With regards to lyrical content, the themes of learning through experience and becoming a better person as a result of one’s experiences are recurrent throughout all but one song on this EP (more on that one song in a bit).
The EP kicks off with the track “Manifestor” where OG raps about making positive changes in his life and others, along with the generational wealth he’s currently building, through his music. A moment that stuck out to me was when he spits: “Took me to my mid-40s to make an actual decision / To reverse my actions that had me trapped back in prison / Better late than never, right? / One of the best is getting’ heard that never writes”. MSB artist K Most compliments OG with a solid, well-crafted verse, and I love how the beat (one of my favorites on this EP, by the way) incorporates these swirling, heavenly church organs during his section of the song. I also love how the rhythmic handclaps come in when K Most’s verse segues into guest rapper Bigga Kook’s, and how the instrumental switches to a trap beat with some ghostly vocals layered over it. And speaking of verse, Bigga BODIES hers!! From flow to mic presence to quotables galore (points for her Twisted Metal references when she spits “They think I’m losing my mental / ‘Cuz my mind is just as twisted as the metal on Axel, my Dollface magnifying / I got a Sweet Tooth for blasting iron”), she comes through with easily one of the best verses on the EP!
On the following track “Nobody Wins”, OG addresses the speculation amongst fans of OG Audio, a rap duo consisting of OG and his neighborhood friend G-Mak, of the group’s supposed disbandment. The short version of what happened is that G-Mak had personal responsibilities to handle, which ultimately got in the way of his long-awaited return to music. Part of me wishes that OG delved into this situation a bit deeper (matter of fact, he speaks his piece on ONE VERSE, with guest crooner and MSB artist Army Blaque opening and closing the song with a pretty solid hook), but I do respect his decision to not linger on it past one verse to the point of appearing bitter or resentful. Its low-key, slightly disenchanted beat makes “Nobody Wins” the most emotional track on the EP, but I imagine OG Audio fans will connect with this song way more than the average listener.
We then get “God Isn’t Finished” which features a laid-back, piano and string-assisted beat and lyrics from OG concerning the continual maintenance of his rap career, particularly from a business perspective. On the opening verse and his self-affirmative hook, he raps about staying focused on his grind and keeping a watchful eye over his detractors. MSB artist Shawn Caine delivers a standout verse on this track which oozes swag, braggadocio and cockiness (points for his “Had blood on my shoes, way before Nas X” bar, by the way).
Much to my surprise, the EP treats us to a sole banger in the form of the hard-hitting “West V Open”. MSB’s Johnny Alkada opens the track with an aggressive, ear-grabbing combination of sexually-charged and hustle-oriented bars. There’s even a moment where he interpolates the iconic cadence of Juvenile’s verses on his equally-iconic “Back That Azz Up”. Speaking of ‘azz’, the beat for this song alone, which features this THICC-ASS bassline, sounds like the type of music you’d either hear in a strip club or blasting from the whip of some random hustler. And speaking of ‘hustler’, OG Omyth delivers some grimy bars on his verse, and I particularly dug how cold-blooded he sounds here compared to Johnny’s animated vocals. Clearly, this track deviates from the EP’s aforementioned themes, but there’s no denying the fact that this shit SLAPS!!!
The griminess continues on “NY Times” whose murky, nocturnal, production makes for easily the best instrumental moment on this EP. This production helps set the stage for the unpredictable environment of New York and survivalist demeanor of its denizens expressed on this track. OG Omyth, K Most and MSB co-founder Skunk (whose rugged-and-smooth vocal delivery concludes the song on a strong note) join forces to rap about their success in the midst of adversity and pay tribute to the OGs who paved the way for their upward progression in life.
The final two tracks “Move in Silence” and “Get a Mention” reinforce the EP’s main themes and bring its proceedings to a satisfying conclusion. The former track features a haunting, piano-driven instrumental, an appropriately bleak hook from Army Blaque and a compellingly retrospective look at OG Omyth’s early days of hustling. On the second verse in particular, he raps about not wanting his children to follow the same path he did, as he shows how it led to him doing a bid prior to the start of his rap career. There’s an incredibly powerful moment on the track where he compares selling drugs to the arguably broken and financially unrewarding American school system (“My seventh grade teacher, he was the first plug / The pack was my homework, Pee Wee made sure I had it done”).
On the latter track, we get this lush, cinematic-sounding, string-assisted beat and some noticeable lyrical chemistry amongst OG Omyth, K Most and guest rapper Ricky Bats. All three emcees are thematically on the same page here, as they deliver strong verses related to how the obstacles, tribulations and even near-death experiences (as Ricky highlights on the opening verse) they’ve faced made them into the men they are today.
Though lyrically and sonically, there wasn’t anything truly spectacular or extraordinary, “Certificate of Perseverance” succeeds as a potent showcase of the Manifest Something Beautiful roster, all of whom are well deserving of your time and attention. OG Omyth stands tall on this EP as the formidable leader of this group, succinctly setting the tone of each track with sharp, well-written bars, getting the best out of his creative peers and incorporating a certain sense of wisdom and maturity into the music that only a veteran rapper can pull off. And in this latest phase of his career, here’s hoping he continues to put out quality music. But in the meantime, if you’re looking for insightful, no-filler, no-BS East Coast hip hop, by all means, give “Certificate of Perseverance” a listen!
For episode 6 of BBB Radio, Ricardo and I, with assistance from fellow collaborators Alice Oscura and Tracy Hutchings, talk about the new chapter of Tite Kubo’s Bleach manga, the recently-held Verzuz between legendary East Coast rap groups The LOX and Dipset, the release of Nas’ “King’s Disease 2” album, the newest M. Night Shyamalan thriller “Old”, the Arthurian fantasy “The Green Knight” and the latest Disney theme park attraction-turned-big budget fantasy adventure film “Jungle Cruise”, and do spoiler reviews on “F9 (Fast & Furious 9)” and the DCEU’s “The Suicide Squad”.
For episode 5 of BBB Radio, we share some quick thoughts on the Disney/Disney Plus fiasco involving Scarlett Johansson and her work on the recently-released “Black Widow”, I talk about the two albums, EP and single I’ve reviewed (via my Fiverr gig) for Chicago musician/singer-songwriter/producer C.W. Franz, Season 7 of CW’s “The Flash” and the final two films in the highly-impressive “Rurouni Kenshin” live-action manga/anime adaptation series, and we review both parts of the “Batman: The Long Halloween” film adaptation and the highly-anticipated entry into the Fast (& Furious) Saga: “Fast 9”.
On the first self-titled album from Chicago singer-songwriter/ multi-instrumentalist/ producer C.W. Franz, we were treated to an emotionally meandering look into his mind state and the mostly lovelorn memories stored inside, set to his whispery vocal delivery and free-associative lyrics. Its instrumental-based sequel (the first project I ever covered from C.W.) delivered a cinematic, sonically ambitious portrait of the American Midwest from a moody and deeply personal perspective.
From the cover of “C.W. Franz III” alone – a rather convincing and impressively-designed outdoor restaurant sign with C.W.’s name on it – I had NO idea what to expect with his latest album. With this being a ‘threequel’, I anticipated some sort of progression from the first two “C.W. Franz” albums in terms of lyrics, themes and sounds. And in a small way, we get that: C.W. returns to the mic with reflective, wistful lyrics reminiscent of the first album, and the music presented here is pure Americana, even more so than the second album where a number of non-American instruments were incorporated into the production.
But that’s where the comparisons stop. What’s presented on “C.W. Franz III” is a heartfelt and quietly heartbreaking love letter to the traditional American restaurant, and the memories created from the simple interactions amongst its customers. Now for the few of you who’re probably thinking “That is the weirdest and dumbest idea for an album”, C.W. quickly establishes things on the self-explanatory opening track “Ode to Schreiner’s Restaurant”, a place where you can get a “cup of joe, a cinnamon roll, eggs and sausage and clam chowder”. While C.W. does his share of reminiscing, he’s supported by a warm, pleasant combination of banjo and pedal steel guitar provided by guest musicians Roberto Diana and Reggie Duncan respectively.
Then he drops a rather melancholy chorus where he sings “there’s 30 people out of work”, “Swiss steak is 86ed forever” and there’s “no more 6:30 AM smiles”. He follows that up with a spoken word interlude, stating that he initially wrote the song as an account of him and his fictional lover going to Schreiner’s, but after the real-life closure of the restaurant, he decided to pay tribute to them instead. Afterwards, we’re told that “110,000 restaurants closed last year. They say it’s the cost of doing business, but part of that cost is people’s lives and their livelihoods”. And that’s when the album’s thematic and emotional arcs become clear.
This is without question one of the BEST ideas for a concept album I’ve ever come across! And yes, I know the theme of food or the backdrop of a restaurant or bar or the desire to go to a place where, to cite one of the greatest theme songs ever made, “everybody knows your name” is far from original. But this concept is a serious one, as many food establishments the world over were forced to shut down in 2020 due to COVID-19. And though some were fortunate enough to re-open their doors, largely due to vaccination roll-outs, others – particularly smaller, less-commercialized establishments – weren’t so lucky. The same goes for other businesses in the public and private sectors, forced to let go of their employees, make risky transitions to less traditional business models and/or shut down permanently. And as someone who worked in the private sector and was forced to work from home for months on end, I definitely connected with the theme presented on this album.
Now for the few of you who’re probably wondering whether this album is ALL ABOUT restaurants affected by the pandemic or not, my answer to that is: not entirely. Like a majority of C.W.’s work, “C.W. Franz III” is centered on memories. Here, it’s the memories of being in a particular restaurant or food establishment, the atmosphere of the place, the food and drink you had, the company you kept and the people you saw and/or met there. Even though, as stated in “Ode to Schreiner’s Restaurant”, it’s those memories that’ll “linger and endure”, the underlying sadness of the album centers on how long they’ll continue to do so, even when the places that created them are no more.
Primarily, “C.W. Franz III” can be categorized as Americana, with notable elements of blues, heartland rock and country folk. Similar to his previous album “Five Piano Improvisations”, C.W. uses a singular instrument as the basis of all but one track (an instrumental) on this project. In this case, it’s the ukulele – and it’s surprisingly effective in terms of establishing a home-grown, American ballad-like sound to these vocal-based songs. Speaking of ballad, C.W.’s vocal delivery fits nicely into that sound, and while it’s still an acquired taste, I couldn’t help but see it (in the context of this album) as influenced by the legendary Bob Dylan. In addition, I was reminded of one of Bob’s signature songs “The Times They Are a-Changing”, whose message of the inevitability of change resonates from the aforementioned album opener to its solemn denouement.
After “Ode to Schreiner’s Restaurant”, we get the sweet and genuine “Henry’s Hamburgers”, where C.W. compares the relationship between a burger joint and its customers to that of a meaningful, albeit fleeting, love affair. Throughout the song, a looming feeling of regret is attached to these literal and metaphorical separations (“But something shut the burners off / Left the patties uncooked….”) and yet, in true C.W. fashion, there’s a sliver of hope that one day, both parties in both separations will be reunited. This is emphasized beautifully in the song’s post-chorus which uses a restaurant neon sign as a figurative device (“If those city lights don’t find you / Let those LEDs remind you”).
On “Golden Nugget” (CLEARLY NOT the world-famous luxury hotel in Las Vegas), C.W. touches on another platonic relationship that was cut short due to unforeseen circumstances. He mentions “bonding” with this woman over “things nobody would guess”, while savoring the restaurant’s Tennessee steak, chocolate cream pie and pizza. Along with a gorgeous fiddle section in the second verse, this track features one of the true highlights on the album: a LOVELY and truly moving mandolin solo (performed by fellow collaborator Rodnell Matos) which starts on the hook and concludes near the beginning of that second verse.
The following two tracks “New York Sushi / Okinawan Surprise” and “Corner Bakery” are quite interesting as they feel like thematic companion pieces, even though they’re focused on two relationships. The former is the most thematically upbeat and instrumentally sparse on the project, as C.W. sings about the imagined bonding time he spent with a long distance partner of his at a New York university, and how he brought the best out of him through their frequent conversations over “sushi, California rolls and some sashimi”. On the flip side, there’s “Corner Bakery” which features some ear-grabbing ukulele strums amplified by the track’s other instruments near the end of the third bar, and a familiar theme of C.W.: the already-doomed long-distance relationship. Interestingly, there’s no reference to food or a corner bakery at all, but there is the use of the French phrase pied-à-terre (small flat) on the second bar and an unexpected accordion solo near the end of the song, both of which, more or less, alludes to the ‘long-distance’ (perhaps the person in this scenario is in France or some other European country) addressed in this song.
We then get “Bob Evans”, the first of three instrumentals on the album, and my TOP FAVORITE! The combination of acoustic, baritone electric and electric bass guitars, backed by some great drums, gives this instrumental a smooth, laid-back vibe. Along with the evoked feel of watching a country music band perform live in front of some bar patrons, the track also has a bluesy vibe to it (particularly the moody keyboards which bookend the instrumental), adding a bit of melancholy to its overall sound. Speaking of ‘bluesy’, the following track “$4.99 Blues” is a rather unconventional blues song in the sense that even though it’s written in the basic lyrical structure of traditional blues, C.W.’s slightly off-kilter delivery and simplistic, admittedly non-consequential storytelling makes for easily the album’s most left-field and experimental track.
The instrumental “Red Lager” follows, and I love how it maintains the blues sound of the previous track, with its sparse production, driving ukulele melody and supporting organs by Abel Boquera (I LOVE the organs on this track, by the way). Sonically, it creates the feel of being all alone in a dark corner at a bar, drinking away the pain and stress of the day through a bottle….or bottles…. of Red Lager. Segueing GRACEFULLY from this track is the short and solemn “Longhorn Steakhouse”, which features similar but slower ukulele strums and usage of the all-too familiar scenario of “food or drink not sitting well in one’s stomach” to describe a slowly-disintegrating relationship. I especially liked the “I’m well-done, you’re medium-rare” line which both sums up the condescending way C.W. sees himself and the probable cause of his discomfort. And then we get the album’s thematic nadir, “America’s Diner Blues”, where C.W., at a Denny’s of all places (one of the number of restaurant chains still active during the pandemic), laments the closure of the smaller-scale food establishments he frequented throughout his life. As he says on the hook: “Things change, except for the sorrow / Things change, same thing tomorrow”.
We then get the album’s final track and instrumental “Things Change (For Old Country Buffet)”, a sincere tribute to the buffet-style restaurant whose parent company, Fresh Acquisitions, filed for bankruptcy last year due to the pandemic. With its combination of ukulele, mandolin, electric lap steel and carbon-fiber acoustic guitars, the track is a musical and emotional send-off to Old Country Buffet; sad to see it close its doors indefinitely, thankful for the years of joy it brought to its customers and, similar to the stories of broken relationships presented on this album, hopeful that one day, their doors will re-open and a worthwhile reunion amongst employers, employees and customers will occur.
As a whole, “C.W. Franz III” is not only the best entry in this hopefully-ongoing self-titled series, but it’s also one of his best works in his discography thus far. Who’d have thought a record about American restaurants I’ve never been to would impact me on such an emotional level? And yet it did, thanks largely to its relatable and truly potent theme of the memories we all find ourselves attached to, long after we’ve moved on from the places they were created in, the people we’ve formed connections with have moved on in some shape or form, or the places themselves become inaccessible to us. In short, this is easily one of the year’s best albums and an absolute must-listen! I’ll leave the decision of hitting up one of your favorite food spots before or after listening to this project up to you.
BBB RADIO 