Popstars On The Lam
Popstars On The Lam from The Truly Me Club is the debut album written by Portland, Oregon based multi-instrumentalist Jason Parker, who also has assistance from Mica Rapstine. Each song on the album has a studious flow about it that makes most of the record perfect to turn on while mediating and trying to effectuate maximum clarity. However, the lyrics get dispiriting at times which might deter listeners.
"Cal-ifor-ni-ay" begins with reverberating organ work, and each note is elongated, which gives the song a stern tone. Parker goes on about how the "Golden State" can enrapture you to keep returning for more: "Cal-ifor-ni-ay, a thousand times you drive away. But there's no gettin' round the fact you're in love. Cal-ifor-ni-ay, instructions for break-dancing fame. Throw your gear into the back, promise us. You'll stay right here, where you belong." Parker's voice is so calming that it could lure listeners into the glitz and glamor of the most populous state in the United States.
On "When the Cops Use Their Guns" there is painstaking acoustic guitar work that is skillful in its implementation. This song talks about law enforcement and the violent topic of gun play with such lyrics as, "That plan just fell down at my feet. Bullets traveling to your face. When the cops use their guns, it makes an awful sound. So we cover our ears to stop the pain." The brutal imagery that this song formulates is fiercely contrasted by the calm way Parker sings the lyrics. Rapstine harmonizes with Parker, which adds a choral tone to the song. The halcyon feeling with which they utter each note might creep listeners out given the virulent theme of the song.
"When the Suicide Did" melds organ and guitar play for a dolorous song that talks about ending one's life out of sheer despair. Parker croons about a suicide pact and how he changed his mind and decided he wanted to live. He sings about the details of the treaty with such lyrics as, "The suicide drew a line among friends. I changed my mind. I lived again. I thought I loved the open air and the land but I was never in love. It was the car that let us down. The day that never stopped, it was the time we hated being in love, but we were never in love." It seems Parker is saying the idea to end his life sprung from never feeling amorousness for another human being, and the pain of that fact made him contemplate concluding his existence early. This is a dark theme for a song and might scare listeners and make them turn off the album altogether.
The Truly Me Club's "Popstars On The Lam" has superb instrument play that intensifies the lyrics of each song. Yet, the premises of many of the tracks have such despondency to them that listeners might become inconsolable and choose not to check out the rest of the album. But if they can overlook the dismal lyrics long enough, they will find a record that is instrumentally as well as vocally outstanding.
