I’ll be honest, I bought this album, in part, because I felt sorry for the artist. I follow BC (Brian Christinzio) on the socials and he was explaining how difficult he was finding it both personally and professionally.
He was almost begging people to fund his latest, and probably last album and I couldn’t help myself. I figured it was a good deed, if the album was decent then it would be a bonus. Thankfully it is a win/win for all concerned as the record was funded and turned out to be excellent.
This is an album detailing a breakup…a long, drawn-out breakup exacerbated by struggles with addiction and mental health issues. Not the cheeriest subject matter but definitely fertile creative ground.
BC is an unconventional character, born in New Jersey he has spent the last decade living in Manchester with his now ex. He embraced life in this country but it is still weird hearing his rich American tone singing about humdrum British subjects like Homes Under The Hammer, David Dickinson and the Tesco cashier.
Musically, the album darts around from conventional indie (Kicking Up A Fuss), to string-laden epics (The Movie), to 80s-inspired pop/rock-noir (Fear: Life In A Dozen Years).
Don’t like a track? Wait a few minutes and something completely different will appear. Don’t like that track either? No need to worry, the whole thing will be over soon as the record is just 36 minutes long. But what a 36 minutes?
I fell hard for Christinzio after his previous release ‘Shortly After Takeoff’ and think this is even better. Even after a few listens I know this is one of my favourite releases of the year. Epic, heartbreaking, funny, brilliant. If this is his final release then what a way to go out.
This is the Dinked Edition which is sadly sold out. There is one available from a scalper on eBay for £60 if you are interested, otherwise, it is available on clear vinyl from the Bella Union web shop or your local indie store for £23.
Tracks To Try: ‘The Movie’, ‘Kicking Up A Fuss’, ‘She’s Gone Cold’, ‘Fear: Life In A Dozen Years’, ‘I’m Ugly’.
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