Ok, this is a new one, so it remains to be seen if this album picks up any steam. But as of right now, one of the best releases of the year has garnered almost no real praise from anyone outside my apartment (or so it seems). Perhaps because Clap Your Hands Say Yeah got too much attention and backlash for Ounsworth's side project to be considered as new act worthy of new fans. I suspect that this fuzzy in your face album further distances Mr. Ounsworth from reclaiming his once large appeal, and I also suspect he could give a fuck. And that is exactly why this album sounds to fresh to my ears.
As underrated as Some Loud Thunder was, it still is largely a bridge burning, intentionally notching up the weirdness and sacrificing the hooks. It's easy to respect but at times hard to actually enjoy. Skin and Bones basically puts the hooks back into the equation, and thanks to his new bandmates (including members of the Walkmen and Man Man), he's also added some, er um, balls to his sound. It reminds me a lot of Destroyer's Rubies in the way Ounsworth seems free and easy to fly his freak flag. Though not as sprawling or epic as Rubies, it's thrilling to hear someone so brash and confident and totally unconcerned with current trends while still being concerned with making a fantastic album on his own terms.
The production is at times gratingly distorted, but it at least maintains a dynamic range if only because of the performers. And, unlike the generic lofi sound being abused right now (often by bands who really don't need it) it actually suits the music incredibly well. Unfortunately, the production plus Ounsworth's unhinged vocals render his lyrics all but unintelligible. Overall, I'd describe the sound as drunk and sweaty, and if that sounds disgusting to you, I guarantee this isn't for you. But for me, this sounds like a show I'd really like to go to.
Without a doubt, this is Ounsworth working at his best, and as albums go, it may be my favorite of his so far. It may not be as anthemic as his original band's debut, but it's much less self-conscious, much more off the cuff. And through the whole album, he sounds completely ON. I'm not completely sure why so many of his former fans have completely jumped ship. Perhaps it's the singer not the song, and well, it could just be plain ol' fickle trendspotting. And to be fair, Alec should maybe sober up spend more than 30 seconds before naming his next band. But I hope that the albums creators don't feel as ambivalent about it as most of their reviewers do, because they're certainly off to a great start.
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