By Timothy Showalter

I don’t like listening to music. My travels are typically soundtracked by four-hour blocks of Coast to Coast. But obviously, nothing exists in absolutes, and I still love bands, especially when they’re my friends. I was introduced to the Black Swans a few years ago when my friend Lou went on tour with them. Since then, I’ve played many shows with them, drank brandy with them, and even slept on frontman Jerry’s infamous futon.

As our friendships intensified, I only became a bigger advocate of what they were doing. I believe that their record Change is a modern masterpiece. It’s the kind of record that rewards the listener’s commitment. This is the same for their upcoming release, Words are Stupid. A few years ago, Noel Sayre, violinist for The Black Swans, passed away. His playing was an absolute force. To me, it’s very reminiscent of how I feel about Will Oldham’s voice. Both seem to be able to move mountains with the humblest turn of phrase. Needless to say, it was hard for everybody to lose him, especially for his friend/bandmate Jerry DeCicca. Instead of retreating into expected and understandably “mournful” themes for Words, Jerry chose a different path. His approach to songwriting always reminds me of Vonnegut. They both seem to have an awareness that life is filled with absurdities. I’ve always been attracted to art that makes me confused as to whether I should laugh or cry. Words are Stupid inflicts both of those reactions.

Music reviews come from a very individual place. When I first heard this record, it was exactly what I needed. Maybe at that particular time I needed to be reminded that we’re all holding our own capsule of Ice-nine, and at any point it could drop. Then it’s all done…poof! We might as well go through the motions of life and have our own quiet laugh at how crazy, wonderful, and terrible it all is. Hi ho.

Pre-Order: The Black Swans – “Words Are Stupid”