UNDERLINED PASSAGES
His Head Feels Like a Trainwreck Tonight
(Mint400 Records)
Release Date: 12/02/2022
01. Midlife Suicide
02. Snowdonia
03. Ambrncense
04. Ice Cream
Jamaal Turner and Michael Nestor team up once again as the duo Underlined Passages for their new EP, His Head Feels Like a Trainwreck Tonight. The 4-song release features 3 very strong originals plus a rather unusual choice for a cover, Sarah McLachlan’s “Ice Cream,” which we’ll get to later.
Starting off with “Midlife Suicide,” I’m immediately teleported to early 2000 and hearing early Death Cab For Cutie for the first time. The elegantly simple melody sounds so straightforward, like it has always existed in the ether. Not flashy, but full of substance and precisely executed.
“Snowdonia” keeps the mood set to mellow, but has a more open and spacious vibe. Constant chord progressions hold the listeners’ hands and makes sure nobody is left behind. Delicate like a Sufjan Stevens song, the vocals dance perfectly in and out of the guitar lines. Gentle drums kick in mid-song, but are careful to never overpower, only drive the song forward.
“Ambrncense” continues with that late 90’s/early 00’s aesthetic. The guitars could be straight from a DCFC B-side and the lyrics are right there too:
In your room with your heart in bloom. Middle age has come for you.
All the scenes on these glossy screens make you feel like you’re lost, too.
And much like those songs from that era, there is little to no resolution here. Frankly, the song probably works better without any, leaving the story open for the listener to fill in as they choose.
The EP ends with a cover of Sarah McLachlan’s “Ice Cream,” which might seem like an incredibly odd choice at first, but it strangely works as the last track here. Original released in 1993, the piano-based jazz number has been transformed into a darker and moodier track that really puts the chorus into the spotlight. It’s like Underlined Passages knows it’s home turf lies in the 90’s and isn’t shy about putting their own spin on this song. While the choice wasn’t without risk, it certainly paid off here on this track and on this wonderful EP as a whole! His Head Feels Like a Trainwreck hasn’t been in the office here long, but it’s certainly on our short list of top releases of 2022! Incredibly solid!
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