Old-timey mustaches and banjo songs about punk rock
What a funny little mustache this fellow has.
But what might at first glance seem like an old-timey affectation actually takes on a larger prominence in light of Franz Nicolay’s music, a subtle character trait that is actually very telling of his artistic aesthetic as much as his personal.
Best known as key-burning back-up vocalist for the Hold Steady and one of the architects of the cabaret-punk sound of World/Inferno Friendship Society, Nicolay finds a sturdy middle ground between the two on his first real solo release, Major General. Stepping away from the tenor of his highest-profile gig, most of the songs here are carried by his deft guitar (both electric and acoustic) and banjo work, the bulk of the song carrying the muscle and tone of any modern rock record.
The album starts with that brawn right up front: “Jeff Penalty” is a flawless punk song with a striking insight that can catch the listener off-balance; it isn’t often that an album opens with a track so lyrically thought-provoking. Its certainly a catchy number punctuated by furious drumming and punk guitar, but it also breaks down the deeper meaning behind long-dead anti-establishment punk band Dead Kennedys’ recent tours. The players in that band have tapped a series of faceless singers (including the titular Jeff Penalty) to essentially stand in for legendary singer and DK catalyst Jello Biafra, allowing them to simultaneously use what was once a revolutionary anti-corporate signpost for the punk movement to recapture their former glory and shamelessly trade on a brand that appeals to young punks who don’t know better and former ones that have now entered the mainstream or are grasping for their own glory days. Nicolay asks poignant questions about the conflict of knowing what you’re seeing is somewhere between the real thing and a sham but still getting a thrill out of it.
Maturity might be the defining trait of his songwriting. “Confessions of An Ineffective Casanova” is a rock number about actual adult relationships done in a way I wish more songwriters would take on. Where popular musicians tend to infantilize relationships with the opposite sex, keeping them perpetually at a teenage/early-20’s level where they’re constantly pining for someone or something they’ve left behind, Nicolay presents an honest picture of gender and sexual politics that reflect the lifestyle of a touring musician and the clash of life on the road in the desire to form a committed relationship. He speaks honestly about how difficult it is to “try to build a life” out of the random and diverse stable of women he’s come across in his time.
One of the albums latter tracks might seem a bit familiar for fans of the Hold Steady. “Quiet Where I Lie” was an unreleased b-side Nicolay wrote and that band recorded (under the title “For Boston”), but he has said in interviews he loved the riff too much to let it languish in obscurity. Thank god he did, because it might be the best song the already incredible band has never bothered to release.
“Note On A Subway Wall” and “Do We Not Live In Dreams?” represent Nicolay’s more theatrical leanings, solo acoustic/piano numbers that draw heavily on vivid imagery and vocal phrasing that seems like it was crafted for Broadway.
While there are notes of his other projects present throughout the album it stands as a singular piece of work that is a real achievement for a first-time solo artist. Nicolay continues the lyrical legacy of his previous work, finding poignancy and rich detail in things as simple as a scrawl of graffiti or the desperate, ironclad grasp on whatever fleeting relevancy a group of punk rock has-beens retains. In an interview with AP magazine Nicolay describes the songs as music “for the one day a year you put on a tuxedo and go to a rock show.” A neat analogy, but it diminishes the quality of the music; you’ll definitely want to listen to this record more than once a year.
Franz Nicolay - Jeff Penalty: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download Franz Nicolay - World Inferno vs The End Of The World: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download Franz Nicolay - Cease Fire -or- Mrs Norman Maine: Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadOrdering info for Major General can be found on Fistolo Records’ website. Further digital purchases can be made from InterPunk. Digital downloads from eMusic or iTunes. He’ll also be releasing a 10″ EP this year with help from our good friends at Team Science Records — check the blog for details. Release date is expected to be in August.
