Wax Trax pt. 8/EP round-up pt. 3: In search of a longer stage
They say storytelling is a lost art in our digital age. That oral and written skills are falling by the wayside as information gets translated into complex strings of 0s and 1s. That text-speak is the new shorthand, that “pwning” will some day become a legitimate word (okay, that might be a bit of a stretch — OR IS IT?). To wit: once reputable dictionary magnates have chosen “unfriend” as the word of the year.
Truly, these are dark times.
But there is hope out there for those that value the power of the written word, the art of a well-constructed story. His name is Franz Nicolay. You might remember him, you were introduced earlier this year. He’s the guy overflowing with musical notions, the guy who plays with some four bands just to get them all out there. The guy that just released a very dichotomous EP.
Coming not too closely on the heels of his LP release, St. Sebastian of the Short Stage draws clear lines about the emotional extremes contained in his songs. He divides the four tracks explicitly into “the fun side” and “the depressing side” of this 10″ slab of vinyl. And let me tell you, he isn’t kidding.
“The fun side” kicks off with a tribute to one of music’s best storytellers, the legendary Jonathan Richman. Nicolay and frequent collaborators the Dresden Dolls (evidently the last thing they recorded before breaking up) offer a lively take on the ode to their regional home, “New England.” A brief intro of goofy staged dialogue precedes a piano/accordian/drum/handclap romp that is as true to the spirit of Richman as any cover of his work I’ve heard. The second track, “The Ballad Of Hollis Wadsworth Mason Jr.,” is an ode to the fictional crime fighter better known as the original Night Owl in the Watchmen graphic novel. Nicolay evidently participates in a regular songwriter’s workshop that reads a book and writes a song inspired by its contents, this track being the fruits of that labour. He deconstructs the titular character, illustrating the perceived motivations behind his nocturnal activities and his desire to stand up for what he believes in. Quick-paced drums, a lively bass line, and stalwart accordian give his tale a heroic sense of urgency.
“The depressing side” really can’t be described any other way. Both tracks consist primarily of emotive acoustic guitar and Nicolay’s desperate-sounding vocals. “When The War Came” is a suitably dark and dire number, its studied finger-picking creating a layer of tension built upon by some full-bodied piano chords and atmospheric organ. He looks at how an unnamed conflict affects individuals in a community, illustrating the deadness in people’s eyes when atrocities are being committed before them, the loosening of ties that could ultimately see brothers and friends turn on each other, the loss of identity when a new one is being forced upon you. Conversely, “I Just Want To Love” is about as insular and personal as a song can get. It is exactly what Nicolay describes it as: a depressing song written and recorded when he was in his early 20’s, not sleeping well, and working a dot-com job. Its the sound of a lonely young man expressing his need for human contact in the only way he knows how. It may be nearly the oldest songwriting meme in human history, but imbues the song with individuality. He has a flair on this number for giving an incredible weight to the seemingly-mundane; a sure sign of a gifted storyteller.
While the songs here all tell a story in one way or another, Nicolay also tries his hand at a different medium: included in the liner notes is a short story, titled “Paraska Mikhailivna Is A Witch.” It tells the tale of he and his girlfriend’s encounter with a Ukranian woman and her daughter living on the Romanian border. I won’t give away too much detail, but Nicolay definitely shows a lot of promise in its dozen or so paragraphs, weaving a non-linear tale that certainly presents a situation and a perspective outside of most people’s norm.
Obviously Nicolay remains on this release an incredibly evocative songwriter; in my heart I believe he’s a born storyteller. There’s ample evidence contained in this package that regardless of how his words make it out into the ether they’ll do so in a significant way. At a time when words are losing their value and importance it is goddamn wonderful to experience the work of someone who holds them sacrosanct and knows how to dress them up and show them off.
Visit the Team Science webstore and buy this effing record, people. iTunes has the assist for digital nerds.
